Your Eyes Can't Lie To Me
by listenWITHyourHEART
Summary: Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing to do. Rose is kidnapped & escapes 4 mo. later, but with no memory of her captivity. & things just seem to get worse: an affliction without a cure, personal revelations & still, the usual teenage drama. Life is never easy for a Weasley.
1. Title Page and Disclaimer

**_Your Eyes Can't Lie to Me_**

a "Next-Generation" Harry Potter FanFiction

[Written By]

_listenWITHyourHEART_

* * *

**DISCLAIMER**

This story was written merely for the entertainment

of the author and her readers. No money was made

writing this, nor does the author claim credit for established

characters created by J.K. Rowling.

Any other items - some spells, magical items, and people - are

original, created from the author's mind for plot purposes.

It should be clear what items were created by Ms. Rowling

and which were created by the author of this FanFiction.

If it is not, please contact the author via Private Messaging.

Thank You.

Enjoy!


	2. Prologue: two personalities

"_The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances;_

_if there is any reaction, both are transformed."_

_- Jung_

* * *

Prologue: _two personalities_

* * *

_(Sunday, May 25th, 2024 – 11:34am)_ - **ROSE**

* * *

_I do not understand boys…_I mused, frowning slightly.

"Especially a boy named Scorpius Malfoy," I muttered, stroking the soft brown feathers of my spectacled owl, Erimentha, who was snoozing on her perch in the Owlry.

"He's just so – ugh!" I growled. My fingers became tense, causing Eri to hoot balefully at me. Shrugging off my hand and ruffling her feathers reproachfully, I realized I'd been a bit louder than I realized. A few of the nearby owls open their eyes protested at me as well, annoyance in their stares.

"Sorry," I said, softer this time, "I always forget you guys are nocturnal."

Sighing, I gave Eri one last pat. I told her I hoped she'd forgive me for upsetting her sleep again, and left the tower.

Once I made it safely down the stone steps, my mind once again returned to what I had been ranting about before: how much I did not understand the whims of one Scorpius Malfoy.

To put it simply – and rather nicely I might add – he is an enigma. He is the first Malfoy _not_ to be Sorted into Slytherin in… well… I don't think the Malfoy's _ever_ have been Sorted anywhere else! Let alone their rival House of Gryffindor.

And during the first week of starting at Hogwarts… the surprises just seemed to keep on coming.

He was _nothing_ like my father implied on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters. Malfoy = _evil incarnate._ He showed up to every lesson on time and caused no mischief. On the first day in Transfiguration – our first lesson, incidentally – with Professor Alice Roberston – who had taken over the post from Professor McGonagall when she became Headmistress – we were (as expected) attempting to turn a match into a needle. I expected it came to nobody's surprise that I was completely successful; I Transfigured three matches by the end of the lesson. I _was_ Hermione Granger's daughter after all.

The surprise was that Scorpius had Transfigured three whole matches as well. Much to my annoyance (and, I will not lie. I was rather impressed).

It was this small thing that was the cause of two very different effects: he and I almost instantly engaged in an intense academic rivalry, and… he became Albus Potter's other best friend.

"Any bloke who can show up Rosie on the first lesson is a bloke I want as my best mate," he said, stopping Scorpius outside the classroom.

"He did _not_ show me up!" I had angrily protested. "We Transfigured _exactly the same _number of matches, thank you very much!"

Al had just chuckled at my irritation and retorted,

"Yeah, but I bet he did it quicker. Right, Scorpius?"

Albus Potter - that tosser!

Scorpius had merely shrugged. Our rivalry wasn't to the bickering and boasting stage yet. That came about in full swing around the start of October, second year. The insults would start in earnest at the very beginning of our fourth year.

And that's when the Malfoy Smirk made its first debut as well. This event caused a snowball effect throughout the female population of Hogwarts – excluding myself of course – who now suddenly seemed to think he was '_the fittest!'_ and continually annoyed me by asking if I could _'introduce us?'_

"Are you mad? I'd rather give you the advice to _avoid_ the tosser! He's a right git!"

"Yeah, right! He's bloody _fantastic!_ Come on Rose, you're friends with him already, help a gal out?"

That last sentence they always seemed to say never failed to send me spluttering in horror.

"We are _not_ friends! He's a cheeky twat who is beyond annoyingly moronic and there is no way I could be bothered to 'introducing' you! Merlin!" and then, I'd angrily stomp away, practically fuming at the ears.

Yup… I was rather shirty and bad-mouthed that term. Thank Merlin I grew out of it by the end of the year before I went home (my best friend was a large influence on this language change. But who could blame either of us! All the females had gone bonkers!)

Things were never really the same between me and Al after he became friends with Scorpius. Apparently, I was too much of a dork at eleven – like he wasn't! – to hang out with.

I didn't really take it to heart, though. Probably because I met Adela.

There were, including myself, a total of five Gryffindor girls in our year: a ditzy, vindictive and complete slag named Violet Brown (the slag part came into effect full throttle our third year, making her almost _exactly_ like her mother – I would later be told), Lulu Connors (a Violet clone, except her blond hair was _most definitely_ fake – and who lets their _eleven_ year old daughter charm their hair anyway?), my cousin, Dominique Weasley (my Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill's second daughter), and Adela McKinnon.

Dom and I got along quite well, but we had grown up together. She had been more of a tomboy than she was anything like me: a bookish girly-girl. However, don't be fooled by this description. You piss me off enough and I will get as violent and dirty as any boy. Blame the Weasley temper I inherited from my father. Mostly, it was either Al, Scorpius, or Violet Brown who brought out that side of me.

She played rough with James, Albus, my younger brother Hugo, and hers, Louis, Fred and his twin, Roxanne, who was one of the boys as well. They engaged in Quidditch, Exploding Snap tournaments, harassing the gnomes at the Burrow and nicking the prototypes from Uncle George for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes (this always ended badly). Though James, Fred and Roxy had all been a year older than us, Roxy still hung out with Dom while they were both at Hogwarts – especially when they both were on the Gryffindor Quidditch team (Roxy was a Beater with her brother, Fred – it was totally the second generation twin genes at work there; their father was George Weasley – and Dom was a Chaser).

So, while Dominique and I were family, we just didn't have the same interests to hang out all the time.

This is how Adela came to save my sanity (as much as was left after that tosser Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy stole some).

She was like a breath of fresh air after growing up with only my cousins as companions. Sure, the Weasley's and Potters are amazing! But there's only so much you can share – and subsequently deal with – when it's your _family._ It was refreshing, because Adela was so completely different from them; that was only part of what made her great.

Another part was that she was a Muggleborn.

She didn't know _anything_ about my family, my parents. She didn't treat me like a celebrity. I _reveled_ in it. And when she did find out – nothing changed. She was all impressed and curious, but she understood how much I hated being treated differently, just because of my family. She was the same way, being from an all Muggle family before finding out she was a witch.

We fit completely as best friends. Her snarky and ironic attitude was a perfect complement to my slightly timid and bookish, but still 'know-it-all' in class, personality (I was my mother's daughter, after all).

Her sarcastic take on life was always greatly appreciated on days when I just wanted to tear my red curls right from my head in frustration over Scorpius.

Until I met him, I did not believe there could exist a boy more annoying than Albus. So, yes, I was very, very _wrong._

We were in our sixth year now. For some reason, this created and sudden change at the beginning of the year from Scorpius in relation to me.

_He wasn't a complete git._

Sure, we still competed over academics, but most of the insults were gone from him. When he'd see me, the greeting would be, "Hey, Rose, did you finish that paper for Professor Longbottom?" instead of the previous favorite of, "Oi, Weasley! Did you let a Niffler brush your hair this morning?" (and I would like to point out my hair is _nowhere_ as bad as my mother's had been! It's curly, but more like large ringlets, and it's _red, _not brown_. _I have my father's dark cerulean blue eyes, too).

To which I had instantly replied,

"No, Malfoy – I certainly did not!"

And then realized what he said.

"Wait – did you just ask me if I _finished the Herbology homework?_" I spluttered incredulously, half-believing I went temporarily bonkers.

"Yeah; I practically went mad trying to find and describe five beneficial uses for hellebore! But I'm sure I got them."

I couldn't find words. It was only when Adela – who was sitting beside me at breakfast (inhaling her eggs and bacon) – elbowed me in the side and muttered,

"Rose, you probably should close your mouth. And you know… _answer_ him?"

"Uh, yeah," I quickly said. "I found seven positive uses, though. I have no idea why you had so much trouble."

He merely rolled his eyes (_rolled his eyes!? No snarky comment back about how swallowing my copy of _1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi _finally paid off?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM!?) _and said he'd see me in Herbology that afternoon.

(I profusely thanked her after he left for saving me from further embarrassment. She just demanded I thank her with Chocolate Frogs, not flattery; she gets enough of that pathetic flirting from Albus).

The entire rest of the year seemed to go like that. He was _almost nice_ to me! The academia one-up-ing was always still there, but he just seemed to not… _hate_ me anymore?

So, this is why I doubt I'll ever understand him.

I meandered across the grounds, heading back to the castle. Adela was waiting for me in the Great Hall before we headed out to watch the Quidditch final: Gryffindor versus Slytherin (as it always seems to be). This was James Potter's last year as Captain; Gryffindor had won the cup the past two years, ever since he became captain. I knew James wanted to go out with a perfect record, so a lot was riding on this match.

James played Chaser with Dominique and an amazing fourth year named Lisa Hawthorne. Fred and Roxy were Beaters and Albus was the teams Seeker. Scorpius was our Keeper.

And it goes without saying that James was driving everyone mad. He had been completely certifiable this past week, making Al even more than usual. I knew James would never forgive Al if he didn't catch the Snitch. And Al would never forgive himself either. So, basically the whole family – and by association – all the Gryffindor's, were all twitchy and half-crazy with nerves.

Adela and I had been woken up by Dom at 6 o'clock this morning; she was going stir-crazy, waiting for the match to start at noon. She had driven Adela practically insane by 8am (which says something about how crazy she was acting). I lasted a bit longer, but finally broke at 10am when she wouldn't eat anything, and everyone else was likewise freaking out at the Gryffindor table. So, in order to escape the madness, I said I had to send a letter – which is how I ended up at the Owlry – and made Adela stay to make sure Albus didn't kill himself before the match.

As I had left the Great Hall, Scorpius had followed me just outside.

"Hey, Rose! Wait up!"

I had turned around to find him chasing after me, a weird look on his face.

"What is it Malfoy?" I asked, a little testy myself from all the crazies I had dealt with leading up to this match.

And yes, I still used his surname. He was Scorpius only in my head.

"You're coming to the game, right?" he had asked, wringing his hands in front of him rather nervously.

And that in itself was stranger than him inquiring on my agenda (which he had _never_ done before).

"Of course; weren't you sitting right next to me just now? I told Adela I'd meet her here to walk down to the pitch together." I said.

Here it got stranger still.

_He blushed._ BLUSHED!

"Ah, right. Sorry," and then, after twisting his fingers together a few more times, as I stood there looking at him like he had grown a third head (the second one was usually his ego), he said, all very fast, "Well, I'll see you there. Bye Rose!" and he quickly retreated back to the Great Hall.

Again. I will say it.

I will _never _understand Scorpius Malfoy.

While pondering all this, I had made it to the edge Black Lake that led back to the castle with the Forest just a few yards beside. That's when I heard a loud pounding of footsteps rapidly approaching me from behind.

Thinking it was one of my stir-crazy family members coming to harass me some more before the game, I just kept walking, bracing myself for the crazy.

What I got, was a completely different kind of crazy.

Knocked down from behind, I screamed, suddenly terrified. I tried to kick them off but they were so heavy! There were suddenly other loud male voices and rough, calloused hands gripped my legs and arms, and one ripped my wand from my hand where I had just gotten it free.

"You won't need that anymore cupcake," a horrible voice whispered in my ear with a sinister chuckle.

And everything went black.


	3. 1: serenity, courage and wisdom

"_Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,_

_the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." _

_- Niebuhr_

* * *

Chapter One: _serenity, courage and wisdom_

* * *

_(July 8th, 2024 – 10:41pm) -_ **THIRD PERSON**

* * *

Rose Weasley had been missing for almost two months.

The whole of the wizarding world was waiting with barely subdued terror for the news of her death and the rise of another Dark wizard.

Her father, Ronald Weasley, never slept, spending all hours of the day in his office in the Auror Headquarters in the Ministry. He was determined to find his daughter and to make those who took her pay. His wife, Hermione, appeared at the door of his office with their 15 year-old son, Hugo, and their best friend, Harry Potter, and his wife and Ron's sister, Ginny.

Hermione's face was tearstained and stricken, clutching Harry's free arm for support. She seemed unable to stand on her own. Ginny was holding her husband's hand tightly, her face and his weary far beyond their years. Only Hugo stood alone next to his mother, his whole demeanor one of forced strength and resolve.

Ron looked up only briefly at their arrival. Seeing no good news in their faces, he turned back to his desk which was covered with different bits of parchment and quite a few snapped and mangled quills.

Hermione detached herself from Harry's arm and made her way over to her husband.

"Ron," she croaked in a voice raw and terrified with worry, "Ronald, please come back to the Burrow with us. _Please._"

His face crumpled, betraying more pain and distress than should be humanly possible. Turning his face slightly to hers, he spoke in a voice broken and weary,

"I c-can't, Hermione. I have to find s-some-t-thing. _Anything!_ She's my little girl…"

At the last word, Ron broke down completely into anguished sobs. Husband and wife clung to each other, desperately in need of support.

Hugo leaned into his mother, his strong façade finally breaking as he was pulled into the embrace. Ginny broke down, too, hiding her face in Harry's shoulder.

Harry spoke then, his voice low, but determinedly strong.

"We'll find her. No matter what, we'll save Rose from whoever has her."

* * *

_(July 10th, 2024 - 8:53am)_ - **THIRD PERSON**

* * *

Two days later, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic, was sitting in his office, answering a letter to the Prime Minister of Magic in Italy who wanted to know how the search for Rose Weasley has fared recently, offering to send some of his Aurors to help with the effort. Seeing as it had been four months now with nothing, _not one single clue_, Kingsley was more than thankful for any extra wizards to help.

Many feared another Dark Rising, one much more terrible and widespread than before. Kingsley would not make the same mistakes of his predecessors by ignoring the problem – confirmed or not; after all, he'd been on the receiving end of those repercussions. Many were lost who should not have been. So many…

Sighing, Kingsley ran a large ringed hand over his face.

It had been a particularly hectic morning, in a particularly insane week. Kingsley normally came in early – before the sun was even up – to answer some of the low-priority post that had been neglected over the past week. He hadn't gotten very far at all in the previous days, seeing as about an hour after sitting down in the chair behind his desk in the Minister's office, his Senior Assistant, Monty Abrams, ran in with a situation needing his immediate attention: on Monday, a young Welsh Green dragon had escaped from the small preservation up north and was ravaging the countryside towns and he needed to approve the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures damage control plan; on Tuesday, two Trader's – one transporting unprocessed bubotuber pus and the other a cage of young Cornish Pixies – had collided and well… the resulting mess was considerable (the pus got all over the wizards surrounding the two and the pixies caused quite a lot of damage to personal and Ministry property); on Wednesday, the all lifts simultaneously stopped, trapping their occupants in whatever point between floors they were currently at; on Thursday, there was a charm gone wrong in the mail room, causing a good lot of the Interdepartmental paper airplanes to incinerate, causing a lot of wizards to be late, not knowing what they needed to…

It had been a frustrating week, to say the least.

Kingsley had been in his office for almost three hours now, and Monty had not rushed in with another emergency; he was beginning to think the chaos of the other mornings would not repeat.

But of course, that would be too easy.

Just as Kingsley was finishing up the letter to the Italian Minster, Monty burst into his office so suddenly, causing him to spray ink blots all over the parchment.

"What could possibly be wrong now, Mr. Abrams!" Kingsley growled, his voice angrier than he intended.

However, it said something about why Monty was there – and certainly Monty himself - that this growl of annoyance from the quite sizable and accomplished wizard behind the desk before him, that he barely blinked. Instead, he continued his barreling route into the office, his purpose falling rapidly from his lips,

"Minister! We just received word from the Prime Minister of Muggles! He thinks that Miss Weasley has been found!"

Kingsley jumped to his feet, previous annoyance and ruined and blotted parchment completely forgotten. Grabbing his wand from the desktop and pulling on his robe from where it lay on the back of his chair, he rushed after Monty out the door.

They stopped before a painting of a frog-like little man wearing a long silver wig, which hung next to a large roaring fireplace.

"Please alert the Prime Minister of Muggles of my swift and momentary arrival," Kingsley said as Monty threw a handful of green powder into the flames, turning them a brilliant emerald.

The man in the painting nodded and turned his back on him, delivering the message.

Kingsley walked straight into the fire and bellowed,

"Muggle Minister's office!"

When he stepped out of the fireplace mere moments later and into the other Minister's office, he was greeted by the Muggle Minister. He was dressed in a long black overcoat and black fedora, holding a black umbrella in his left hand.

"Minister," they simultaneously greeted each other.

"I am on my way to a city budget meeting," the Muggle Minister began, adjusting his overcoat, "but I received word a few minutes ago from my senior beat officer that a young red-haired woman matching the description of your missing Miss Weasley, was found early this morning badly injured in Regent's Park. She was brought to Western Eye Hospital on Marylebone Road."

The Minster reached in his pocket and handed Kingsley a badge.

"This is the badge for my personal guard and investigators. It will get you through the hospital's security and in to see her. I do not know if this girl is your missing Miss Weasley, but she is not on any of our databases for missing persons."

"Thank you for your prompt news Minister," Kingsley said, pocketing the badge. Then with a nod, he turned on the spot and Disapparated.

* * *

Five minutes later, now appropriately dressed for Muggle relations, Kingsley made his way to the IC Ward, room 19C. Like the Muggle Minister had said, the badge had gotten him through the hospital's security without a problem.

As he approached the room, a young nurse walked out of it, shuffling some papers on her clipboard. Flashing the badge, Kingsley said,

"Sergeant Shacklebolt, miss. It is a matter of great urgency that I see this woman."

The nurse, looking shocked at the badge Kingsley had shown her, nodded and let him into the room.

"We are not to be disturbed for any reason," Kingsley said. Then, pulling the door closed, Kingsley pulled down the shades and turned the lock on the handle.

Suddenly, Kingsley found himself afraid to turn around. _What if it wasn't Rose? What if it was? What then? _

A moment later, he does and if it wasn't for the sad sight of the girl's body in the bed before him, Kingsley would have sighed in relief. Seeing that Rose wouldn't wake for a good while, Kingsley pulled a small gold disk, emblazoned with the Ministry's crest from his pocket. Engraved around the edges were letters and numbers.

Mentally remarking to himself upon Mrs. Hermione Weasley's cleverness – she had originally come up with these in her 5th Year at Hogwarts! – Kingsley sent a message to his inner circle of Aurors and all of the trusted individuals who owned and knew about these special coins: Cipher Communicators.

And ten minutes later, Rose was being transferred to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

* * *

…9:29 am

* * *

St. Mungo's was in an absolute uproar.

The news of Rose Weasley being found – alive! – had been kept between only those who possessed a Cipher Communicator and the Head Healers at the hospital. Kingsley wasn't about to let his guard down so easily; so many of his fellow Aurors and members of the Order had met their untimely end that way.

Judging by how few leads – none – on Rose's kidnapping there were, Kingsley had to assume the fact that there might be a mole in the Ministry. But, seeing as no one knew just _what_ exactly the nature of the threat was, Kingsley didn't know what to tell his men to look for. So, until further light was shed on the current situation, this would be kept as much under wraps as they could manage.

Naturally, however, all of the Weasley's and Potter's were notified immediately.

Kingsley made sure he delivered the news himself. Directly after the Medi-wizards from St. Mungo's had arrived at the Muggle hospital with a half-dozen undercover Aurors, Kingsley left, making sure all knew that his personal Auror, Mr. Dean Thomas, was in charge of the transport. Just after sharing a brief look of relief with Dean, Kingsley Disapparated to the Burrow.

Ron, Hermione and their son, Hugo, had been staying there more often than their home out in Bath, Kingsley understood; there was too much to call attention to the lack of Rose's presence in their home.

He Apparated just outside the garden gate, and broke into a sprint as soon as both feet had made contact with the grass. In his haste, he didn't get a good grip on the latch, and tumbled headfirst over the gate.

"Minister!" there came a startled cry from inside the yard, followed by rapidly approaching footsteps. Suddenly, a freckled and red-headed face appeared over his, blocking out the sun.

For a moment, Kingsley though he had hit his head hard enough to knock him silly. The girl helping him to his feet was almost an exact copy of 15-year old Ginny Weasley. But once he blinked a few times and wasn't staring into the sun, he saw the white lily clip in her long red hair; he corrected himself and knew this wasn't Ginny, but her daughter, Lily Luna Potter.

"Are you okay, Minister?" Lily asked, peering at him concernedly.

"I'm fine Miss Lily," Kingsley assured her. "Are your mother and father here?"

"Yeah, they're both inside with Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron. Why?"

Kingsley could barely keep the joyful news from spilling out of his lips forthwith, but he managed to. However, he smiled so wide, that joy showed anyway.

Lily's face scrunched in confusion for a mere second before astonished understanding blossomed across her face. And in the next second she was sprinting back across the lawn towards the house. Kingsley forgot how intuitive Ginny had been. The trait had doubtless been inherited by her daughter; and by the look of things, it had been mightily intensified.

Kingsley took off after her, but he certainly wasn't young anymore. By the time he reached the door, Ron and Hermione were bursting out of it, Harry, Ginny, and by the looks of it, the entire extended Weasley clan right at their heels.

"Kingsley? Is she –?" Hermione could barely form the words; her face was filled with the fear that this wasn't real.

"I saw her myself, Hermione. She was just brought to St. Mungo's before I came here."

She and her husband, who clutched Hugo between them, took off towards the gate without another word. A moment later, there was a loud pop, and all three of them Disapparated.

And in the next moment, it became a chaos of voices and movement.

Fleur and Molly took immediate control of the children, helping to get them ready to Floo to St. Mungo's. Arthur Weasley rushed into the small alcove off the kitchen, scribbling letters to George and Angelina – who were currently at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes – and also Percy and Bill, who were at the Ministry.

Kingsley was joined by Harry and Ginny, their faces void of any of the sorrow and weariness the last four months had added.

"Who found her Kingsley?" Harry asked, moving out into the yard.

"The Ministry got an owl from the Muggle Minister about quarter to nine this morning, so I rushed to Floo to his office. He told me that he had gotten word only minutes prior to my arrival of a teenage girl matching the photo and description we have him and the other Ministers. She had turned up badly injured in Regents Park in London. She was brought to the Muggle hospital nearby; that's where I went and confirmed for myself.

"She was in a very bad way from what I saw, but it was Rose, no doubt in my mind.

"I contacted St. Mungo's for transport after I confirmed her identity and once they arrived I left everything to my personal Auror, Mr. Thomas – you recommended him yourself, didn't you Harry? Well, anyway, I hurried here to deliver the news."

Harry nodded, face thoughtful, but the joy nevertheless undiminished. Ginny looked briefly at Harry, and then turned to Kingsley.

"Shall we all head to St. Mungo's then? I expect almost everyone else had arrived."

Both Kingsley and Harry nodded. They all stepped outside the garden gate, Disapparating instantly once past the wards still protecting the Burrow.

* * *

The uproar, Kingsley surmised, he should have anticipated. The magical community wasn't made up of entirely morons after all. The news of Rose's kidnapping was widely known – across the globe even! – and, once Ron, Hermione and the rest of the Weasley's - Harry, Ginny and the Minister of Magic himself not long after them – appeared at St. Mungo's all in a fluster, the _Daily Prophet_ and not long after, _the Quibbler_, would be swooping in on site for the scoop.

Unfortunately, seeing as the Ministry's Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation – who acted as the Ministry's spokes-wizard – was Percy Weasley, and Harry Potter was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Ronald Weasley was Head of the Auror Department, and Hermione Weasley was Head of the International Magical Office of Law… there was no one else in a related department to handle the media correctly.

So, it was up to Kingsley himself.

_Merlin help me…_

* * *

…2:04 pm - **ROSE**

* * *

I awoke to crying.

They were soft, but hugely emotional sobs near my head; tears of relief.

In the next moment, all I was aware of was pain.

Every inch of me screamed in agony and I was unable to handle the sensory assault all at once. My eyes flew open as my body sized up and convulsed, ripping an agonized scream from my throat. I thrashed and screeched, pain continuing to course through every inch of my body like lightning.

I was suddenly aware of many hands restraining my flailing limbs, of loud voices calling out orders. I couldn't see anything – the brightness of the room had temporarily blinded me – but a strong, yet gentle pair of hands forced my mouth back open and an icy cold liquid was poured down my throat, turning warm – like liquid sunlight – once I swallowed.

My body relaxed quite quickly then, though the pain was still there; it made my eyes and jaw clench together tightly with tension.

There were murmuring voices close by, and sharp footsteps clacking all around. There came a dripping sound, like water being wrung from a washcloth into a bowl, and then a gently warm cloth was dabbed across my forehead, cheeks, neck, and covering all the other places where my body hurt. In place of the pain, there was a cool, numb sensation instead.

"Can you please open your eyes for me Miss Weasley?" said a calm, slightly high male voice. I did not know who exactly he was referring to as 'Miss Weasley' because that certainly wasn't my name – my name is… _wait, what is my name…?_

Pinning my lack of following this – scary - train of thought to conclusion on the numb and detached feeling I was experiencing between my mind and body, I figured that he must mean me, so I answered.

"Y-yes…" I croaked, finding my voice high and raspy.

At the same time, I slowly opened my eyes, squinting momentarily against the brightness. A man in white robes stood next to me. He had icy gray eyes which held a gentle concern in their gaze. His hair was visibly receding from his forehead but was a striking platinum blond with some beginnings of gray.

For some strange reason, I felt like I knew this man, though I knew I had never seen him before in my life. There was, however, a silver name pin on his right chest that read:

**HEAD HEALER D. MALFOY**

_Malfoy…_ I rolled the name around in my head, trying to spark some tangible recognition. But… there was nothing…. _Nothing at all._

The man leaned forward to peer into my eyes which were still adjusting to the rooms lighting.

"Good Miss Weasley," he said. "On a scale of one to ten with one being the least and ten being the worst – can you tell me your pain level right now?"

"Um, a one I guess. I'm not in pain but I feel weirdly disconnected from my body," I said.

"The potion and salve were effective then," the Healer responded, nodding. "You were far beyond a ten in pain before, correct?"

At my nod, he continued.

"It is how that treatment works. We are currently still assessing the amount of injury and damage to your body – which outwardly alone is considerable – and when you awoke it occurred that your mind could not handle it. So, this body-and-mind-disconnection you are feeling is how we shield you from the pain until either it is gone, or lessened to where your mind can handle it."

Understanding, I nodded once more.

Here, the Healer started to look uncomfortable.

"As for your mental state, a specialized Trauma Healer – Healer Edgecombe – will be in to speak with you about your ordeal. I know you might not be able to talk about everything yet, Miss Weasley, but your parents are permitted to join you for moral support."

My brow furrowed.

"Ordeal…? Healer Malfoy, what are you talking about? What happened to me to get me here, you mean? _I _was hoping you could tell _me._ And my name, too, that would be helpful. I don't know that either."

Healer Malfoy had such a calm, professional, yet compassionate nature about him. I doubted he had ever been caught off guard. But after I finished speaking, he looked like a hippogriff had kicked him in the stomach.

"You – you don't know who you are? You don't remember – anything?"

I shook my head.

"No. What's going on?"

The Healer stood from where he had been sitting on the edge of my bed, looking even more thrown.

"Please excuse me for a moment. So sorry."

And before I could protest, he was out of the room, door clicking shut behind him.


	4. 2: the smallest act of caring

"_Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile a kind word,_

_a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring,_

_all of which have the potential to turn a life around." _

_- Leo Buscaglia_

* * *

Chapter Two: _the smallest act of caring_

* * *

_(June 10th, 2024 – 2:34pm) -_ **THIRD PERSON**

* * *

Draco Malfoy had been a Healer for almost 15 years. Seven of those, he had been the Head Healer for the Fourth Floor, Spell Damage Ward. He had seen a lot of nasty injuries (many from before his Healer days), but he prided himself on always finding some way to help, no matter how small.

After the war, Draco found that without all the fear of his father's ideals and the threats to insure compliance from You-Know-Who and the other Death Eaters, he was not the person he thought he was; he was not the boy those situations made him into.

He was a bright young wizard; a boy who truly wanted to do good things for the world. The warped view of the world he had while at Hogwarts was a result of his upbringing, a result of his father's pure-blood mania. In truth, he was a complete coward. The world was a scary place; if he was roped in with the Death Eaters, they couldn't harm him like they were doing to those in the Order, or Muggles. They couldn't harm him, so long as he didn't do anything they would view as treason to the Dark Lord.

He knew he made all the wrong choices. He chose what was easy, instead of what was right.

This didn't occur overnight, this core-self reevaluation. It took many months after the death of Voldemort, for Draco to sift through everything that existed inside of him. But he did, and he changed; he was determined to atone as much as he could for his, and his family's crimes.

As some (not-so-dumb) Muggle had said, "No matter what your past has been, you still have a spotless future." And so Draco wanted to try.

In school Draco had always been partial to potions – not just because of the preferential treatment he received from the late Professor Severus Snape – and he was actually rather good at it (he was not up to Hermione Grangers level then; he had a lot to contend with, and schoolwork hadn't served as an escape, more like a nuisance).

He had gone to his mother to ask what career would use potions a lot, and she gave him advice to apply to the Healer Program at St. Mungo's.

This task was harder than he originally thought.

For one, Draco hadn't taken his N.E.W.T.'s, nor had he attended or finished his final year at Hogwarts. His surname and the role he played in the war, didn't help at all, either.

Though Draco would deny saying it, _ever_, Harry Potter helped him with this problem.

He and Harry were by no means friends after the war – there was far too much bad history between them and his two friends – but a good deal of the bitter, vengeful animosity faded away. There was still tension, yes, but they now functioned like casual, professional acquaintances.

And the way Harry helped was this: because of Draco's mother – Narcissa – lying to the Dark Lord that Harry had been dead in the Forbidden Forest, Harry was willing to pardon the family of their crimes. However, only Draco and Narcissa accepted.

Sadly, even after everything was over, Lucius Malfoy hadn't changed all that much. Still prideful, arrogant and full of distain, he refused the offer and stood his trial. He was sentenced to life in Azkaban. However, a small kindness was attached: every other year for three days time, he would be transferred to Malfoy Manor to visit his family.

Draco and his mother – as well as his wife and son – looked forward to these visits. No matter what, they were still family.

He had always understood family. Even if his had been nothing like other wizards, there was a bond. He was very happily married to Astoria née Greengrass, and they had a son, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. He had just turned 17 and would be attending his final year at Hogwarts September 1st.

He, Astoria and Scorpius were close. Their family dynamic was much more open and friendly than the one Draco had had with his family; part of this was due to the fact they weren't living during open war.

But no matter what – they _were_ Malfoy's, still – they'd never have the family relationship that the Weasley/Potter's did. Mostly because there was only the four of them, and the Weasley and Potters were a grand total of what? 50? He got a headache whenever he tried to count them all, so he had long ago stopped trying. Another one just popped up anyway.

* * *

The moment Draco stepped into the corridor Mrs. Hermione Weasley, and Ron right with her, converged on him.

There must have been shock still on his face, because Hermione immediately switched from: "Is she okay now? Can we see her?" – to: "What's wrong with her? Please no! She's not –!" – all while Ron's face stayed ghost-white and stiff.

"Mrs. Weasley! No, she is not dead! I administered an Astral-Body Separation potion and she is no longer in pain."

At this both Hermione and Ron visibly relaxed a bit.

"Her mind couldn't take the pain her body was enduring when she woke and she went into sensory overload," Hermione muttered, nodding to herself, "Right, right."

"Can we see her?" then came Ron's voice, audibly strained.

Draco hesitated. How do you tell someone this? It's not covered in his Healer manual; and he's never had to before…

"What aren't you telling us ferret!?" Ron hissed loudly, stepping forward.

"Ronald! Don't!" Hermione shrieked, putting herself between her husband and Draco and placing both of her palms on Ron's chest.

"She – she doesn't know who she is; n-nothing at all. Amnesia from the trauma," Draco choked out.

The crushing despair on Ron and Hermione's faces always crushed Draco's heart. Hermione broke out into anguished sobs, collapsing against Ron, who had gone even paler, shock freezing him to the spot where he stood.

"I'm so sorry. We'll do everything we can. I promise."

They barely seemed to hear him. Slowly, Draco turned and re-entered Rose's room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

...2:50pm - **ROSE**

* * *

After the Healer had left the room, I had curiously looked at the three other people that remained.

Two women – one blond, one brunette, both in their early to mid thirties – and an older man (maybe 50) with salt-and-pepper gray hair and beard, both cut short and neat. They all wore white Healer robes, but only the man had dark blue lining and trim on his.

They all looked as thrown as Healer Malfoy. The man hid it a little better, but I could still tell. After a moment of stillness where they all stared at me, the blond moved to the large cabinet against the wall, across from the end of my bed. She pulled something out and walked back over to me.

When she held it out to me, I was confused.

"Chocolate?"

"It'll help your shaking subside. It's a small side-effect from the potion we had to give you."

Slowly, I reached out and took the bar from her, biting off a piece. And almost instantly, I felt warmer and calm.

"Thanks," I said, giving her a smile.

The brunette rushed over a moment later with a cloth she had conjured from her wand, holding it to my lip after wiping my chin. They she moved her wand over it and muttered a quick spell.

"What happened?" I asked once she removed the cloth from my lips.

"You reopened your split lip and it started bleeding. Healer Dolmen cleaned and healed it," answered the blond.

I nodded slowly, which was weird to do. My neck was all still, but because of the potion, I didn't feel pain from whatever injury was there.

"Please try to move as little as possible, Miss Weasley," said the brunette, Healer Dolmen. "Because you don't feel pain, you don't know what you shouldn't move. You may move something that needs to stay still and therefore injure yourself worse."

"Of course," I replied.

"Clyde," now said the blond to the man, "should we start healing her further, or do we need to wait for Head Healer Malfoy's okay?"

Clyde frowned for a moment before answering in a deep rumbling voice,

"We should wait. I will check on where –"

At that moment, Healer Malfoy reentered the room and Clyde stopped speaking.

Crossing over to the cabinet the blond had gotten the chocolate bar from, he said,

"Healer Dolmen, please make sure Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrive at the private waiting room with the rest of the relatives. They are outside."

"Yes, sir," she said with a nod, hurrying out the door.

Turning from the cabinet with six different colored and sized bottles, as well as quite a few tins and boxes, all levitated by his wand, Healer Malfoy spoke to the other two Healers.

"Healer Adornetto –" the blond, "and Healer Coltern – " Clyde, "please assist me in this please."

Then turning to me, he said,

"Miss Weasley, the potion we gave won't last much longer as it's unwise to separate mind and body – even a little bit – for any more than a half an hour. I am going to have to give you a sleeping potion to knock you out while we heal your injuries."

I nodded.

"Depending on the severity, you could be out for only a few hours, or a few days. Someone will be here when you wake, though."

"Okay. You'll be able to answer my questions then?"

He hesitated a moment before saying the truth.

"I do not know. I hope so. You _will_ know. We just have to make sure you are sufficiently healed first. I am sorry."

I was silent for a moment before I spoke.

"Thank you for being honest, sir," and I took the small glass of blue creamy-looking potion from hi, swallowing it quickly.

And within moments, I sank into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

(5:11pm – _Three hours later…_) - **THIRD PERSON****  
**

* * *

Draco left Rose's room, Clyde behind him, both looking worn.

They both stopped besides each other once the door was shut. They were both silent. But it was Clyde who spoke first.

"That poor girl. How did she survive whatever in Merlin's name happened to her?"

"She is strong. And very, very brave. A true Gryffindor," Draco replied, in awe himself.

"Still… those injuries… I haven't seen anything like that since the first war with You-Know-Who. He tortured more often and freely then. I really hope she remembers, though I don't wish those doubtless horrible memories upon anymore… but we need to catch the monster who did this. We can't have another Dark war. The wizarding world will never survive yet another."

Draco agreed.

"Please make sure Isobel has someone to relieve her in an hour. Rotate the shifts in three hour intervals, and only senior trusted Healers. I don't care if they have to be called in from bed. However, Miss Weasley shouldn't wake until the morning. Still… we should have someone there. Just in case."

Clyde nodded, handing the clipboard that was in his hand to Draco.

"You'll alert Marietta then?" he asked

"Yes. Healer Edgecombe needs a full debrief from me. I will see you at five tomorrow morning, Clyde."

"Goodnight, Draco," he said, heading off down the corridor, to the right.

Draco took a deep breath and then turned left, heading to the lift which would take him to the Healer offices on the top floor.

However, once he reached the lift, it opened to reveal Harry Potter himself.

"Harry," Draco said.

"Hello, Draco. I need to speak with you before you visit Ron and Hermione."

Draco nodded.

"Alright. When and where would you like?" he asked.

Harry cracked a small grin.

"Draco. You're the Head Healer in this ward. This is your workplace, your place of authority. I bend to _your_ responsibilities."

Draco's face colored and he clenched his teeth. Before he could respond, Harry spoke again.

"Please pardon my glib comment, Draco. You have no need to be told not to treat me as a hero. You are just doing your job to accommodate your patient's family."

The flush began to fade and Draco nodded to the spectacled man before him.

"Of course. It's no fault to either of us. It's been a long, stressful day for all."

"It's been a long, stressful four months…" Harry muttered, but looked up at Draco a moment later, nodding. Draco thought then that Harry hadn't meant him to hear that, so he quickly spoke.

"I'm on my way to debrief our resident Trauma specialist. She is a sort of counselor to those who have been in severely traumatizing situations. She can help Rose and hopefully find out exactly why Rose remembers nothing of herself. You can join me if you like."

"Thank you. That sounds good," Harry said, pressing the button for the lift which in the time of their conversation had left. A moment later, the doors slid open and they both stepped inside, top-floor bound.

"Who is the specialist?" Harry asked as they left the lift and made their way to the office.

"You may remember her from our fifth year, though she was actually a year older than us. She was a Ravenclaw, friends with Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecombe. Wasn't it her who – "

"Yeah. She ratted out the DA Club to Umbridge and you guys in the Inquisitorial Squad. I never blamed her all that much. It was a tough year for all. And it didn't get any easier for a good long while."

Draco nodded.

A moment later, they stopped before her office. Draco knocked. A second after his knuckles left the door it opened the reveal a dark-haired middle-aged woman with heavy face make-up. It was only because Harry was looking for it that he saw the pock-scars across her face that spelled 'SNEAK'.

Marietta Edgecombe looked slightly thrown to see both Harry Potter and Draco before her – especially the two together without their wands pressed to each other's throats – but she didn't comment. She silently stepped aside to let the two men into the room.

Marietta shut the door and locked it before sitting behind her desk. Motioning for Harry and Draco to take the two armchairs in front of her, she said,

"Tell me all you know and have theorized, Draco. I will help all I can."


	5. 3: now is right on time

"_Your journey has molded you for the greater good,_

_and it was exactly what it needed to be._

_Don't think that you've lost time. It took each and every situation_

_you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time." _

_- Asha Tyson_

* * *

Chapter Three: _now is right on time_

* * *

_(July 11th, 2024 – 9:21pm – Four hours later…_) - **THIRD PERSON**

* * *

"It seems to me, now that I am in possession of all the facts, that Miss Weasley's lack of memory is from the ordeal, and not from a spell of curse," Marietta said, folding her hands across her desk.

"How do you know?" Harry asked.

"Because of a number of things: first, we have to take into account of just _who_ she is. Everyone in the wizarding world knows her face, her parents… her relatives. It isn't likely her kidnapping was happenstance. If it had been, we would have gotten demands in exchange for her safe return and she wouldn't be as injured as she is."

"Why not?" Harry asked again.

It was Draco who answered his question instead of Marietta.

"Kidnappers who are looking for ransom don't want to anger those who are going to get them what they are demanding. Often, in order for the negotiations to go in the kidnappers favor, the family of the victim demand 'proof of life' – like hearing their voice and having a conversation with them, that way they know they are still alive and they aren't just being tricked into thinking so – and that the victim isn't harmed in any way. It usually ends badly for the kidnappers if they do harm their 'bargaining chip', if you excuse to crudeness of applying the term to human life."

Harry nodded and Marietta gave a small smile to Draco for his explanation. She picked up where she had left off before Harry's question.

"Second, since we found her out of the blue, I surmise that she had escaped from wherever it was she had been held. However, in regards to trying to find her kidnappers, Mr. Potter, it wouldn't be smart to look just around London. Yes, Rose was horribly injured, but if her captors were somewhere in close vicinity – about 20 kilometers in every direction, let's estimate. It's a good size; not too small an area, or too large – they would have found her before we did.

"Somehow, Rose used magical transport – or something other than her two feet – to get to London. But, I don't think she was all that far from London to begin with. Rose was smart. She was hurt, and trying to get away and back to us. She got to a very public place where she would found and when she was, the Ministry would hear about it quickly.

"If I'm not mistaken, Rose turned of age a few days before the kidnapping. Not having the Trace on her is one of the reasons she was much harder to locate. However, she hadn't taken the Apparation exam yet, but again, taking into account her parentage; I bet she would have passed with flying colors when she was fifteen. So, it is possible she got to London by Apparating, but none of the injuries you recorded and described suggest that she Splinched herself. Unless she's more brilliant that I give her credit for, I don't think she Apparated. It is also possible her captors placed Anti-Apparation spells where she was held, so we have to take that into account as a possibility.

"But, no broomstick, or Portkey – which is very, very unlikely. It's near impossible she found one or had the means and knowledge to make one. Especially in her condition – was found nearby in Regents Park. So, the only way to be sure of the details if for Rose to tell us."

"How do you suggest we get that to happen?" Draco asked.

"Well, since it was most likely an impromptu escape and she wasn't just dumped there for us to find – "

"Wait. That's been bugging me," Harry interrupted. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but no matter how much I wish I could just treat Rose as my niece, there's also the fact that she's a kidnapping victim. No one wants this to be the start of another Dark Rising. However I hate to ask this, I have to: you are sure this _is_ Rose? She's not a Metamorphamagus, or an imposter? And if it really is her, she hadn't been Impursed or anything? She has been gone for four months. We have no idea what happened to her. While I have full faith that she wouldn't break or turn for them, knowing her as my niece. But taking into account she's a young, seventeen year old witch, it's possible, she was."

Draco answered.

"Harry, we did a full magical exam on her. It is truly Rose. She isn't under any enchantment, or anything like it."

"But what about her memory loss?" Harry countered.

"Mr. Potter," interjected Marietta. "I was just about to start on that part of my conclusion when you interrupted."

"I'm sorry," Harry said, slightly abashed.

"It's of no matter. I understand why you had to ask. So, let me just continue, alright?"

Both men nodded.

"She wasn't just dumped there for the logic that whoever took her doesn't seem like he's just give her up; her injuries suggest he or she had some sort of plan. Like you mentioned, Mr. Potter, it might have been to break her and turn her to their side – whoever they are. So, I will rule out wand work, like a Memory Charm. It is most likely due to the ordeal that she had amnesia.

"Her mind is protecting her from the horrors. Thought it seems to be doing too good a job, and blocked everything that could trigger her to remember."

"Her entire past? Why would that trigger it?" Harry asked.

Marietta nodded, and then explained.

"Yes, her whole identity. Because we figure that _who _she is, is why she was taken, _knowing_ who she is could very well trigger anything about her ordeal. The mind id complex, and even now, still not fully understood."

"So," Draco began, "if her mind is blocking her ordeal to keep her sane, how do we trigger to memories without causing her further mental harm?"

Marietta was silent for a few moments, thinking.

"I will talk with her. She needs to be told who she is. The family, Mr. Potter, will be vital for them. I need them to bring items, pick special memories, anything to help Rose remember. Since this is a secure environment and full of Healers, should something unexpectedly go wrong, it would be best to keep her here where we have the best care available. She should remain here, then, for at least two more weeks while we attempt to help her regain her memories."

Both Harry and Draco nodded. Sighing a moment later, Marietta stood and pulled her dark traveling cloak off the back of her chair.

"It is late and I need to rest before we start tomorrow," she said, gathering her things as both men also stood.

"Of course, me as well," Draco said.

"Send word to me once she is awake, please, Mr. Malfoy."

"Yes, I will. You and the family will be alerted as well, Harry," Draco assured the dark-haired man.

"Thank you," he said,

"It is my job," he replied.

Harry gave the smallest of smiles as they all left Healer Edgecombe's office, heading to the lift and then their separate ways for the night.

Tomorrow would be an interesting day; no doubt about that.

* * *

_(July 23rd, 2024 – 10:34pm - Two weeks later...) -_ **ROSE**

* * *

I have learned quite a lot about myself since I woke up with no memory about a fortnight ago.

But nothing triggered my own memories. Nothing.

All of my – good Merlin there were a lot! – relatives brought things to try and trigger a memory: photographs, books, possessions that were mine, food even! They told me stories of past events, holiday mayhem from years past… but nothing worked.

The only person who was there more than my parents and brother was my cousin, Albus, and my self-proclaimed best friend, Adela. According to Albus, I was his best friend – other than a guy named Scorpius Malfoy, who was my Healer's son! Go figure! – since forever. I was the one who bailed him out of the worst of his messes, and made sure he did his homework. And he was the one to help Adela drag me away from mine to have some fun.

Adela and Albus were never there at the same time, though, which I found strange. If we were all best friends, why did one leave whenever the other arrived to visit? I didn't get it; it must be something I knew in my memory; which is just downright aggravating.

Adela would entertain me with funny stories from school, how she enlisted Albus's and a few of my other cousins help in to prank the other nasty girls in our dorm – not including my cousin Dominique, though – and narrations about her favorite Quidditch matches against Slytherin (she plays Chaser for the Gryffindor team).

They both mentioned Scorpius a lot. I was getting curious about this elusive friend. Why didn't he visit me, if we were such good friends?

It was late one night, and Adela was sitting by my side, laughing it up with me about a story about April Fool's day, our third year, where Albus got pranked by his older brother, James, in the middle of the Great Hall, when Healer Malfoy walked in.

"Hey girls," he greeted.

"Hey," we replied, giggling.

"Miss McKinnon, I'm sorry to ask you to leave, but it's well past visiting hours and I just got an owl from your mother, wondering where you were. She sounded quite panicked."

Adela made a face, then sighed.

"Oh, the woes of having Muggle parents. Thanks for letting me know, Healer Malfoy."

She leaned down to give me a hug.

"I'll visit you tomorrow if I can, Rose. Sleep tight."

"Thanks Adela."

"No prob bestie." She grinned.

She gave a salute to Healer Malfoy, before picking up her purse and walking out the door.

Once she left, Healer Malfoy came over to my bedside to pour my nightly potion. Handing me the small glass of dark liquid, I downed it and took a bite of the chocolate he handed me afterwards.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he asked,

"Anything today Rose?"

I opened my mouth to answer, when there was a loud knock on the closed door.

"Yes?"

The door opened, and there stood a very handsome miniature of the man sitting beside me.

"Scorpius? What are you doing here so late son?" Healer Malfoy asked, confused.

_Scorpius…_

The boy's molten silver eyes were trained on me, and it was as he opened his mouth to reply to his father's question, that it happened.

All of a sudden, my whole body sized up. My muscles froze and an excruciating pins-and-needles sensation prickled all over.

Scorpius noticed my shocked face first, and rushed towards me, drawing his father's gaze to my face. But he made the wrong conclusion.

"Rose! Did you remember something?!" he asked excitedly, jumping off the bed.

But I couldn't answer. In the next second, such unbelievable white hot pain shot through my whole body, ripping an agonized scream from my throat.

The painful sensations were so intense I was only faintly aware of the sudden commotion around me.

My chest felt like it was caving in, my ribs being forced apart. I could barely breathe. My hands gripped the bed-sheets, and they started changing: the bones becoming more compact and claws growing from my nails.

My shoulders jerked violently backwards and my spine started rearranging itself; my facial bones started to shift, my jaw jutting outwards into a long snout and my teeth growing longer and razor sharp. I could only whine pitifully now, an almost animal-like sound.

The pain was unlike anything I had ever felt before.

My body jerked around the bed, and off it once I fell; my limbs changing and rearranging, dark red hair sprouting everywhere. My ears grew larger and elongated and my tail began pushing its way from the base of my spine, growing and becoming furred.

The whole excruciating process took less than five minutes, until I finally stood in my full lupintine form.

The last thing I saw before everything went dark, was Scorpius.

"Rose?" he asked, eyes wide.

His voice was deep, soothing. Nothing I had expected or imagined, especially not after what just happened.

This last astonished thought was the last I had before everything was gone.

* * *

_(July 26th, 2024 – 11:01am) -_ **ROSE**

* * *

I woke alone in a dark room on a hard concrete floor. I was disoriented, blinking to make something out in the darkness.

I was lying on my stomach and when I tried to push myself upright, I realized I was shaking, weak and terribly cold.

Also, I was completely naked.

Terror took me then, making the shivering worsen. Where was I? Why was I so weak and completely naked?!

I tried to push myself upright again, this time succeeding; my fear giving me the strength I needed. Stumbling to my feet, I wrapped my arms across my exposed chest and tried to call out, only to find my throat dry and raw.

A moment later, the darkness disappeared. The brightness was so sudden that it rendered me blind. I staggered back a few steps, unbelievably frightened. It was only when I heard a door open somewhere in front of me, did I truly panic, streaking in the opposite direction till I could go no farther, Huddling against the wall with my arms wrapped tightly around myself, I tried to be brave.

It was only when a soothing male voice spoke, did everything rush back.

"Rose? It's all right. You're alright now,"

I only saw his molten silver eyes, wide with concern, for a second before I passed out. And in the split second before I did, everything became clear. Well, almost everything.

* * *

3:13pm - **ROSE**

* * *

When I woke the next time I was fully clothes and lying in a bed. I blinked, looking wearily around the room.

Almost instantly, my gaze fell on Healer Malfoy, who was sitting next to my bed, scribbling with his quill on a large stack of parchment on his lap.

Again, I was struck by the strong similarities between him and his son. But, as soon as I thought of Scorpius, his face jumped to the forefront of my mind. Instantly, I knew something was different. That image, _that memory,_ was from Hogwarts, fourth year.

I looked back at the man sitting in the chair before me, and I didn't just see my Healer as I had the past few weeks, I saw him and realized I finally _remembered!_

My eyes widened and a small exclamation of surprise tumbled from my lips.

His gaze jerked up to meet mine and instantly he was over to my side.

"Miss Weasley?"

"I – I remember you," I croaked.

His eyes widened. Hurriedly conjuring a glass of water with his wand, he handed it to me as I slowly sat up in the bed. After draining it twice, I handed it back to him.

"What do you remember Miss Weasley?" he asked.

"I know who you are. I know who I am. I remember everything from the past few weeks and who my family is," I replied in a rush. "I can remember Hogwarts and my fifth birthday, learning to fly and –"

"Miss Weasley, do you remember what happened to you four months ago?" he asked, cutting across me, his voice breathless.

"Yes, I –" but I stopped. Frowning, I thought. "No. No I don't. The only thing I remember was walking along the lake at Hogwarts before a Quidditch game and then… nothing until I woke up here three weeks ago."

Mr. Malfoy frowned, looking confused and disappointed.

"I'm sorry. I truly don't know," I said.

He nodded.

"It will return, I think, in its own time," he said. Then his face became serious.

"Miss Weasley. Do you remember what happened to you three nights ago?"

Slowly, I nodded. Of course I remembered. How could I forget? Swallowing thickly, I said softly,

"I turned into a werewolf."

Healer Malfoy face became pained, and he nodded.

"Yes. You did."

Suddenly, something occurred to me.

"Oh my goodness! Please tell me I didn't attack anyone!" I cried in absolute horror.

"No, Miss Weasley. You did not cause anyone harm. We were able to corral you into our holding room. You were surprisingly calm, hardly aggressive at all. That is very strange for a transformed lycanthrope who has no consumed the Wolf's Bane potion."

I nodded, relief washing over me.

"What going to happen to me now?" I asked.

"Well, we are going to keep you here until tomorrow to make sure nothing more is the matter. You can go home then, if that is the case. However, the morning of the next full moon, you will be taken here so we can see how your wolf is while on the Wolf's Bane potion. We will deliver it to you the week leading up to the full moon. You must take it every day at the same time. I recommend after dinner, at 8pm."

"And what about school?"I asked hurriedly.

"You can attend of course. Professor DeVane will brew the potion for you and a room will be put aside for your transformations during the full moon, where you'll be safe and alone."

I nodded relieved.

"Um, who knows about…"

Healer Malfoy smiled comfortingly.

"Only those who need to know. Your parents and brother, Headmistress McGonagall and Professor DeVane. The Minister and a few Senior Healers, as well, but the Healers are magically bound to secrecy."

I knew he left one person out.

"And, Scorpius, too, right?" I said.

Mr. Malfoy didn't say anything for a moment.

"We erased the memories of all the people involved in your transfer to the room you were in before, who didn't need to know. I am leaving it up to you if you want my son to be one of those people."

"No. No, Scorpius is my friend. If he doesn't want to know, or you don't want him to, I understand. It's his choice to live with the knowledge of what I am or not." I said, quietly.

Mr. Malfoy stared at me for what left like a long time.

"I will give him the choice, Miss Weasley. Thank you for that," Taking a breath, he said, "Your parents and brother are outside; they wish to see you."

"Please, send them in," I said softly.

Healer Malfoy nodded and headed to the door. But he stopped just before it.

"I am very sorry this happened to you, Rose," he said.

"Me too."

As he let my parents in I realized that was the first time he had addressed me as Rose.


	6. 4: we make the world we live in

"_We make the world we live in and shape our own environment.__ "_

_- Orison Swett Marden_

* * *

Chapter Four: _we make the world we live in_

* * *

_(July 27th, 2024 – 1:22pm)_ - **ROSE**

* * *

I was nervous.

Mum sat with me in my hospital room while Hugo and dad sat on the bench outside. We all were waiting for Healer Malfoy to return and either clear me to go home, or deliver more bad news and I'd have to stay.

I was anxious to know if I could finally go home… but most of all, I was frightened.

To leave the safety of St. Mungo's… to have to deal with the media once again… that I was a monster…

I hated myself.

But I didn't let anyone know that.

My whole family knows of Remus Lupin; all of the adults _knew_ him. He was 'cousin' Teddy's father. He died at the Battle of Hogwarts with his wife and Teddy's mom, Nymphadora Tonks. He had been the DADA professor in Mum, Dad's and Uncle Harry's Third year at school. He was one of Uncle Harry's father's best friends.

He had been a werewolf… like me.

To this day, I don't know why the Sorting Hat put me into Gryffindor. Was it just because I'm a Weasley? Well, then the Sorting Hat's gone bonkers. I'm the most non-Weasley-ish Weasley there is! I'm not courageous, like the House is known for. I just have a really bad temper.

I know that it's very new to me, knowing what I am. I hope I'll accept it someday, if not at least come to terms with it. But right now, I hate what I am.

The Wizarding World hasn't made much headway in eliminating werewolf prejudice in the past three decades. I'm not naive to think that just because I'm the daughter of Ron and Hermione Weasley, people will accept me and treat me the same way I was before. I have never used my name to get me anywhere. I am where I am and _who_ I am today, because of my own actions and decisions; because of my hard work. That's not going to change now.

So, this… condition… is going to be a secret. Only the people, who know as of this moment, are the only ones who _will ever_ know. I will do my damndest to keep it that way.

Mum and dad were devastated. They only just got me back, only… now not really. They've been really supportive, but I know they are dying inside. They don't truly have their daughter back: they have a monster in the guise of her.

Hugo has barely spoken to me. I don't blame him.

I was holding tightly with both of my hands to my mum's. I really didn't want to have to find out there was something _more_ wrong with me.

A moment later, the door opened, and Healer Malfoy stepped inside, studying the parchment on the clipboard in his hands. Almost absentmindedly, he closed the door behind him after motioning for dad and Hugo to enter with him.

"How are you feeling today, Miss Weasley?" he asked, walking over to stand next to my mother, finally lifting his gaze from the parchment.

"Not any different from yesterday," I replied truthfully.

"Good, good. Well, nothing else seems to be the matter with you. All your injuries have healed perfectly and… well, except for your lycanthrope bite of course. That will always be there."

He said the last part sadly, and I knew he really did feel awful that this happened to me. But, it wasn't pity that I was sensing. More like… empathy. I wasn't sure what to make of that.

I nodded sadly, absent mindedly placing my hand over my right shoulder, where a large scar that was bumpy and ugly and the palest white, reached down from my back on my shoulder-blade, to near my collar-bone. It looked like I was scratched as well as gnawed upon.

"You are free to return home, though you will need to return the morning of August 11th for us to assess how your wolf reacts to the Wolf's Bane potion. It will be sent to you each of the seven days before the full moon. I have assigned two owls to you personally: barn owls, brother and sister, by the names of Leon and Gloria. They will be the only ones to deliver your potion and should you need to contact me, or anyone at St. Mungo's, please use them only."

Both my mother and I nodded.

"Alright then, I just need your signature, Miss Weasley for the release form and you're free to go."

Healer Malfoy conjured a self-inking quill, handing the clipboard and it to me. I signed my name quickly, and the parchment vanished. I handed the quill and clipboard back to him.

He gave me a kind smile.

"I will see you in a month, Rose. Be safe. And owl if you remember _anything."_

"Of course."

* * *

...1:40pm

* * *

It wasn't until we had reached the out-patient waiting room, did I begin to freak out.

I was going _home. _Home. For the first time in more than a year, I'd be in my own bed, in my own house. A little spout of joy soared inside me, only to be extinguished by dread.

Will it still be the same… now that I'm so different?

I was terrified to find out.

We'd decided to take a Portkey – Hugo was still underage and Mum knew without asking that I didn't want to risk Apparation so soon.

We live in the town of Mawnan in South Cornwall, in an old Victorian country house with a couple of acres of land. It's been modernized, but we have kept the outside looking as much the same as it did when we bought it, keeping most of the original architecture.

We were told our Portkey was almost ready and we moved away from the queue in front of the window to wait. I tried to ignore the lingering stares of the people around us, and the ones who were passing by. But… I almost couldn't, and that just added to my fear. I was supposed to be used to it! I have been since I was eight years old… But, somehow, I just _knew_ that I wasn't anymore.

I was freaking out, thinking they saw me as a monster now, though in the back of my mind, I knew they couldn't _know._

Mum broke me out of my panic attack with a slight squeeze of my hand.

"It'll be okay, Rose. You'll be home in a minute. I'm just as curious, you know, to see if it's the way we left it."

I looked at her, feeling a slight smile cross my face. Mum knew me so well.

Mutely, I nodded and a moment later, saving me from the stares, a St. Mungo's attendant bustled up to us, motioning for us to follow her to the Portkey-departure room right off the one we were in.

Inside, the room was larger than I expected, though I belatedly realized it made sense: Portkey's could transport easily a dozen wizards; you'd need a room large enough to hold them all comfortably. I knew from my own firsthand experience that traveling by Portkey didn't necessarily have a smooth landing.

The Portkey was a battered fold-up map of the London underground from a decade ago. The St. Mungo's witch tossed the Portkey into the air in the middle of the room where it hovered at chest level.

"You're all familiar with Portkey travel, I presume?" she asked.

"Yes," mum said. "We're familiar."

The witch nodded.

"Right. I'll leave you to it then. You have one minute before it activates."

She turned around to head out of the room, but her hand froze on the doorknob at the last moment. Slowly she turned to look over her shoulder.

"Forgive me," she said timidly, "but I just want to express how glad I am you're safe, Rose. Everyone is."

Then, she gave a soft smile and vanished out the door.

_Not everyone._

Mentally, I froze, wondering where _that_ morbid thought came from. I didn't have time to mull over it, though.

Mum gave a small smile and dad clapped me in what I'm sure he thought was an understanding gesture, on my shoulder. Unfortunately, it was my right one, and the scar was still tender, even after all this time. I didn't know if it would ever be completely okay.

I drew in a breath, hissing at the sharp pain coursing through my torso.

"Merlin! Rosie!" Dad exclaimed, totally freaking. "I'm so sorry, I forgot and – Merlin! Are you alright?"

My face was still crumpled in pain, but I nodded, giving a weak,

"I'll be fine. It's okay dad."

"No! It's not! I can't believe I –" he persisted, but mum cut across him in a soft voice.

"Ronald. Now's not the time." Nodding behind her to the Portkey which had started to glow blue, dad gave one last hugely apologetic grimace at me before we all rushed over, putting a finger on the paper.

A moment later, spinning wind engulfed us and indistinguishable images flashed by our eyes.

And almost as soon as it started, it was over, and we were landing on the soft grass of the field across the street, the Portkey not able to take us into the property line, due to our many protection charms. Also, our house is Unplotable – so, for the address we just used the field, the one part of our property that isn't added into the protection charms and whatnot's influence.

The second I saw the house, I felt… light. Almost as if everything I had been worried about inside me had disappeared.

Dad was carrying a bag, which was full of some of the things people had brought to me at St. Mungo's and other assorted medical parchments. We crossed the road and mum pulled out her wand to unlock the gate.

The four of us walked towards the house with barely subdued excitement. It wasn't until the building itself come into view, did I understand why mum, dad and Hugo's emotions mirrored mine: even from the outside, the house looked almost abandoned.

Upon seeing the tall, untrimmed grass and hedges, flowerbeds overgrown with weeds, the glass on the windows all dusty and dirty, the rain gutters all visibly clogged with twigs and leaves, I stopped dead in my tracks.

It took a moment before any of them realized I had stopped walking.

"Rose?" instantly came dad's query, his tone already on the brink of hysteria.

"You – you guys didn't – where were you these last five months?" I asked, bewildered. I knew they hadn't been here in all that time because there was no way mum would have let the house and yard descend into this. They really hadn't been here in a very long time.

But, why?

"The Burrow," said Hugo, the first words he had spoke to me since… my affliction became known.

Eyes wide and childlike in their confusion, I looked between mum and dad, silently asking.

"There was… too much of you here, Rose. We couldn't…" dad said in a strangled soft of voice, anguish evident all over his and mum's face. Hugo's betrayed nothing.

Numbly, I nodded.

And, "Oh," was all I said; I simply couldn't make anything else come out.

We four stood there in silence a moment longer before I began to walk again. They followed my lead.

The soft gravel of the driveway created an almost comforting crackling sound as we walked. This sound I knew. This sound I grew up with, footsteps crunching on the gravel. It was that familiarity that gave me the courage to turn the knob and open the door to the house – however currently neglected it looked – I grew up in.

Home.

Inside was dim, though it was early afternoon and the sun was brightly shining. I attributed this to the layer of dust on the windows.

Mum followed me in, then Hugo, then dad. With a small clunk, dad set down the bag he was carrying on the dark stained hardwood floor. Already, the thick layer of dust there was disturbed by our footsteps, making Hugo cough.

We looked around in the dim light, taking it all in – before mum, sensible mum – pulled out her wand and illuminated the room, turning on all the lamps and lights with one wordless sweep of her wand-arm.

I hate to say it, but the light just made it look worse.

It wasn't messy, like food dishes or wrappers, trash and junk everywhere. It was just the dusty, stale air, the unused feeling of the place.

"Looks like we have some cleaning to do," mum said with a surprisingly wry smile on her face.

"Better call in the troops," dad muttered. He hated cleaning. He always muttered something about 'spiders' and 'robe strangulation' where mum made him do it.

Mum didn't reply to his suggestion right away. Wordlessly, she turned to look at me, studying my face. It seemed that whatever she saw there made her decision.

"No, not this time," she said, immediately prompting dad and Hugo to groan; this was not an appropriate response, as both of them should have known by now.

"Ronald Bilius and Hugo Alexander! This is our house and we can certainly clean it by ourselves!"

"But mum! I can't use magic!" Hugo whined.

She chose to just glare at him, and he shut up.

"Ronald, you can start on the yard. Hugo, you will start with your room. I'm positive it's a disaster as you never clean it anyway. You'll work your way down to me where I'll be starting in the kitchen."

Dad had already left after mum said, 'yard' – which was mighty nice of her (dad loved to work on the yard), and a swift glance from her sent Hugo grumbling upstairs.

"And me?" I asked.

Mum looked startled I asked.

"Nothing for you right now, Rose," she said in a soft voice. Upon my opening my mouth to protest she added, "You can help later, I promise." She paused. "Rose… you just got home. Please, let us baby you for a while okay?"

Tears welled up in her eyes and I nodded. "Okay, mum," and I fell into her hug, knowing mum really did need to treat me like I was six again; at least for a little while.

Sniffling, she let me go a moment later. "Go on up to your room; I know you're going to need to clean it, but you don't have a time limit like your brother. Just… enjoy being home, okay?"

I nodded, surprisingly both equally eager and wary to see my room.

_Will it still be the same room to me? Will anything mean the same things anymore…?_

I was more than terrified to find out.

I stood paralyzed before my door, my fingers mere centimeters from touching my doorknob.

I don't know how long I stood there, but it was the impatient _hoot!_ that eventually came from inside that snapped me out of my statue imitation. I almost didn't even think; I threw open the door and I barely had time to take in that my bedroom was indeed how I remembered it to be before I was assaulted by a feathery projectile.

"Eri!" I cried in jubilation as she landed on my shoulder and butted her head enthusiastically into mine. I reached up and stroked her beautiful feathers, but she was too restless to allow more than two strokes before she was flapping madly around my head, loudly hooting non-stop.

"Rose!" came mum's cry from downstairs, getting louder as I heard her thundering up the stairs to reach my room. In moments she was in my doorway, Hugo suddenly right there as well. Seeing nothing but my owl greeting me, she seemed at a loss for an appropriate reaction.

"I knew your bird was mad," was all Hugo said, before heading back to his bedroom nextdoor.

I grinned slightly as Eri finally stopped acting mental – though I had missed her too – and flew to perch on top of her cage by the open window next to my desk. That sounded like Hugo.

I turned to mum,

"Mum," I said kindly, taking in her still slightly panicked and out of breathe form, "I'm a fully capable, Of Age Witch. I can handle myself if anything happens."

"But you didn't back in March!" she shrieked, her face closing in on hysteria as dad's had earlier.

"It was Hogwarts," was my calm reply. I couldn't go to pieces, too. "It was supposed to be safe. I wasn't expecting to be attacked like I was. I know better now mum. I know to be on guard, always, now."

This reply only made her facial expressions war more prominently against each other: appeasement from my logic, and pure, exhausting pain from the fact that I should have to be on guard at all.

I walked forward to envelope her in a hug once more.

"It'll be alright mum." I whispered.

She hugged me tightly against her, her breathing heavy.

"I know, Rose. I just got you back… I'm going to be jumpy for a good while."

I nodded into her hair. "I know. We all will."

We pulled back and she gave me a watery smile.

"Hey!" I exclaimed suddenly, "Where's my wand?"

Her face became astonished.

"Good Merlin! How could I forget to give that back to you!" she exclaimed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out hers. With a quick flick, she summoned the bag dad had been carrying. She quickly unlocked it and rummaged through the few contents before it was in her hand.

Almost gingerly, I took it from her outstretched hands, and instantly, my whole body flooded with warmth and calmness.

I closed my eyes in happiness, gripping the dark ebony wood, 13 inches with Thestral tail hair as the core, tightly.

Then, it happened.

It felt like I was lifted forcefully straight up in the air and plopped straight back down on my feet. In shock, my eyes flew open, but what I saw didn't make sense.

The air in front of me was all rippling and transparent in places, the background of my room blended in with… green trees of a forest I recognized and bright, early morning sunlight. Then it was mum's panicked face forming words I could not hear and… dark, stained canvas and dirty, bound bodies.

"Rose?"

My name filtered into my awareness languidly, sounding almost as if I was underwater, or far away. I was having trouble concentrating, unsure what it was that I should be seeing.

"Rose!" came mum's cry again, this time more panicked and then everything from my room, where I somehow knew I really was, faded away.

* * *

_I was fighting back, screaming and kicking, unable to cast a spell as my arms were pinned to the ground underneath me. I thrashed at the heavy body on mine but was unable to move him – I knew it was a him – as he was so much heavier than me. He smelled awful, like fetid meat and sweaty, unwashed skin. Faintly, I smelled blood, and my terror flared in my chest, making it even more difficult to breathe. I was then flipped over as two more men joined the first. I didn't get a good look at their faces, other than they looked like homeless barbarians, all uncombed, dirty long hair and grimy, tattered clothes before I was cuffed upside my head, knocking temple on a sharp rock._

_Momentarily, I was stunned, but my adrenaline had kicked in full force and I raised my arm to Stun the nearest, but before the first syllable had passed my lips, my wand was ripped out of my hand and thrown away somewhere behind me._

_ "You won't be needing that anymore cupcake," ground out a horrible voice in my ear, chuckling sinisterly. It sent goose bumps of revulsion sweeping over my entire flesh._

_ Before I could react in any way, a sharp blow hit the top of my skull and everything was dark._

_ … and then it wasn't._

_ I was bound tightly with rope around my wrists, ankles and chest. My entire body ached and throbbed with pain. I tried to open my eyes further but my right one seemed unable to. Groaning, I squinted in the darkness and saw many other people, bound as I was, around me._

_ We were all laying on hard dirt inside what looked like a tent. Its canvas was stained with something dark, and I quickly squashed my eyes shut again to block out what I thought – knew – it was. My breathing was heavy now, and I squirmed in my bounds, ignoring the pain in my panic._

_ Suddenly, a dark, unwashed face squirmed into my field of vision, her eyes wild with panic as well. Soon, I found out, that it wasn't the same kind of panic as mine._

_ Her panic was that mine would bring the tents occupants pain and punishment for struggling._

_ Seeing who I was a few moments later, only made her panic more._

_ "Please, please be quiet! They'll come back! I can't endure it any more – I can't!"_

_ The wild fear in her eyes, spoke volumes, more than her scratchy voice could ever do._

_ It was too late, though, as loud footsteps approached from outside. I felt all the occupants of the tent tense in fear in their ropes as the tent flap opened and a jet of deep yellow light was cast upon the woman in front of me._

_ She screamed and twisted in agony, over and over as the incantation was cried._

_ "Crucio! Crucio! Crucio!"_

_ I lay there, staring into her eyes whenever they opened, trying to give her strength. I could do nothing else._


	7. 5: the end of your comfort zone

"_Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."  
- Neale Donald Walsch_

* * *

Chapter Five: _the end of your comfort zone_

* * *

_(July 27th, 2024 – 5:40pm)_ - **ROSE**

* * *

I woke slowly, feeling as though my whole body was lead. I blinked groggily, once, twice, before groaning as I tried to sit up. The motion sent my vision all spirally and I quickly lay back down.

"Mum! Dad! Healer Malfoy! She's awake!"

Dimly as I began to blink again – trying to clear my cotton-filled head – I saw Hugo jump up from the armchair that was supposed to be in the living room but instead was next to my bed, and run out of my room, calling for them as he went.

In a flash, my room was suddenly extremely crowded.

Mum and dad were at my side first, both their expressions haggard and frightened, but relief beginning to wash most of the present fear away.

"Rosie?" came dad's voice; the hysteria I had heard before in his voice, now hugely magnified, and very obvious in his and mum's faces. "What happened?"

"Yes, Miss Weasley. Do you –"

I cut off Healer Malfoy's question, suddenly remembering what I _remembered. _

"I had a flashback," I quickly spat out; it felt like this notion shouldn't be held in any longer. It was _important._

Mum, dad and Healer Malfoy gasped, and he pushed his way forward, conjuring a pad of parchment and a Self-Inking Quill.

"I need you to tell me in explicit detail, Miss Weasley. Leave nothing out. This is extremely vital."

I nodded, sitting up slightly. I opened my mouth to tell him – the attack, the tent, the Unforgiveable Curse… but I found that when I opened my mouth, nothing came out.

Seeing my distress, mum put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Its okay, Rose. Take your time. I know it's going to be hard, but we need to know, so we can catch the person who had you. Did… did you remember who it was?"

I shook my head. "No, I didn't. I remembered the attack and something sometime after." I took a big breath and retold everything that happened in as vivid detail as I could. It wasn't hard; now that I remembered… it wasn't something you could forget.

Healer Malfoy wrote everything down as I said, and when I was done, both mum and dad looked horrified. Hugo stood in my doorway, his face more like stone than ever.

"I don't think I want to remember anything else… that was horrible enough…" I whispered, my voice cracking at the end.

Immediately, mum grabbed me in a tight hug, tears welling over in her eyes.

"Mr. Weasley," said Healer Malfoy. "C-"

"Ron."

There was a pause. Mum untangled herself from me and looked at dad with a strange look on her face.

"Excuse me?" said Healer Malfoy, sounding a little choked.

"All these years, you've called me Weasley, and as adults, you've just added the proper Mr. before it. You've healed my daughter as best that can be, and you've shown us no animosity after everything that's happened between us. I'd like it if you'd just call me Ron."

Healer Malfoy looked taken aback, but that was nothing to what mum's reaction was.

"Ron!" she cried, launching herself at him and wrapping her arms about his neck, now completely sobbing.

I was gobsmacked as well, and faintly over mum's happy tears (I think…) I heard Hugo give a faint chuckle from the doorway.

Healer Malfoy gently cleared his throat, causing mum to pull away from dad and quickly sit back down on the edge of my bed, her face flushing.

"Yeah. We're at that point now, aren't we?" he chuckled. "I'd like you to call me Draco, then. 'Tis only fair."

And then something happened I'm sure no one thought they'd ever see: Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley shook hands with a smile.

Then, he pulled out his wand.

"I'm going to make a copy of this, Draco, so the Aurors can try and figure out who the people Rose could describe are."

He tapped his wand on the parchment Healer Malfoy had written my account down on and stuck the copied parchment in his robe pocket.

"I have to head to the Ministry. Will you be alright here Hermione?" dad asked.

She nodded.

"Of course. Hugo still has some cleaning to do I'm sure," she said, throwing him a look to which he groaned. She reached up and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Be safe."

"And I should head back to St. Mungo's to file this report," said Healer Malfoy. "But first, here," he pulled out his wand and conjured three flasks of bright colored potion: one purple, one dark orange, and the other neon yellow.

"The yellow is –" Healer Malfoy began to say, but I already knew.

"A medium-strength Revitalize Potion and the purple is Sleeping Draught. If I'm not mistaken – the orange the new Ache-Eraser Potion. I read about it in _Potion-Brewers Monthly _before I… went missing."

Everyone looked at me like I grew a second head.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," Healer Malfoy said a moment later, still looking at me strange. "I presume you know what order to take them in?"

"Sure. A little Ache Eraser now before I take the Sleeping Draught and the rest as needed. The Revitalize is for any after-effects of my fainting and if I have any weak spells in the next few days."

Everyone still looked astounded, except for Hugo.

"I don't know why you're so shocked, mum and dad," he said from his spot in the doorway. They all turned to him. "You saw Rose's O.W.L. results. Straight O's in everything. Ask Al or Adela about her homework and test marks. Mr. Malfoy, you can even ask Scorpius if you're curious. She never gets less than 100/100."

"Hugo, really I –" I said, trying to talk over him. I really don't like it when people talk about me like I'm some kind of genius or something. It's embarrassing.

"Cut it out. Seriously. You're beyond brilliant," he said, speaking right over my interruption. "I personally don't know why you didn't get Sorted into Ravenclaw, sis. You have more brains than any of them."

Then, he turned around and left, calling behind him,

"I'm going to start on my room. Don't faint again Rosie."

Everyone was silent again, as they all turned to look back at me.

"Rose, is your brother telling the truth?" dad asked, his voice soft.

"I – uh, well…" I mumbled, avoiding their eyes.

"Rose!"

"Oh fine! Yes!" I cried. "He's telling the truth! Merlin! What's the big deal?"

They were all silent, still. It was driving me mad!

"If none of you are going to say anything, then go do what you were all planning before Hugo got all informative! I'm going to take my potions! Out!"

Exchanging looks, they all got up slowly and headed out my room, mum closing the door behind her. Listening hard, I heard no footsteps make their way away from my door. Grabbing my wand, I cast a non-verbal Silencing Spell and jumped out of bed – stumbling a bit as I was still kind of dizzy – but made my way over to the door.

"Accio Extendable Ears!" I whispered, and the flesh-colored string flew into my outstretched hand – from under my bed of all places! – and I quickly set it under the door and put it to my ear.

"-the Hogwarts Archives. McGonagall owes me a favor after the Scamander-Incident at last year's October Hogsmeade trip." I heard mum's voice say.

"I'll see if I can speak to the Minister about setting me up a Cone Meeting with one of the Unspeakables later this week."

"I'll be able to help you with that Draco," dad said. "Kingsley owes _me_ a favor after those Pixies got loose in his office."

"Mrs. Weasley-" came Healer Malfoy's voice next, but I knew what would happen as soon as the "Missus," came out of his mouth.

"Draco, you can certainly call me, Hermione," interrupted mum with a teasingly scolding tone.

"Okay… _Hermione,_ can you see if the Board of Directors will be willing to administer a Merlin Exam if the Cone Meeting goes well?"

"Of course. Padma Patil is a Director if I remember correctly and I'm sure she'll be glad to help. She'd also be a big influence with the other Board Members. She was a Ravenclaw, if you recall," mum replied.

"Of course, Hermione. Harry and I went to the Yule Ball with the Patil sisters, remember? But uh, let's hope she's still not angry with me about that…"

"Oh, Ronald. I'm sure Padma isn't still mad you were a right prat that night. I'm not am I?" mum said.

"Right. You did marry me after all…"

"Okay," Healer Malfoy quickly said. "I have to head back to St. Mungo's. I'll get right on setting up the Cone Meeting. Can I use your Floo?"

"Of course," dad said, and then I heard all three sets of footsteps make their way downstairs.

Completely confused, I sank back from the doorway, pulling the Extendable Ears from my own.

_What was such the big deal about my grades? So I'm smart! A lot of other people are too, and I can't really take credit; I just inherited it from mum…_

I stood up and wandered over to my bed, sitting down on the edge.

Suddenly, there was a flutter of wings and Eri landed on my windowsill, a letter in her beak. Curious, I reached over and took it from her, my other hand automatically going to the box of owl treats I kept in my bedside table drawer. Pulling them out, I paused.

"Eri, these are probably out of date… I'll give you some extra when I get new ones okay?" I said, petting the feathers on her head. Greedy bird she was, she gave a baleful hoot and looked at me pointedly.

"Oh, alright. I'll go get you something from the kitchen," I sighed, standing up, the letter still in my hand.

Erimentha gave an appreciative call in response and fluttered over on top of her cage, her favorite spot. Shaking my head, I left my room and headed past Hugo's and down to the kitchen. It was only once I reached the doorway that I realized we wouldn't have any food, if everyone hadn't been here in months.

"Mum!" I called, looking through the cupboards, hoping to find something. "What do we have to eat?"

"Oh goodness… Uh, not really anything, Rose," mum replied, walking into the kitchen from the cloak room. In her hands she held a pair of dad's boots, looking like they were caked in 6 month old mud, which knowing dad, they probably were.

"_Scourgify!" _she said, siphoning off the mud into the kitchen sink. "I'll owl your father to bring something home for dinner… goodness, though I have no idea how long he'll be… _Evanesco."_ Lazily, she Vanished the mud, and Banished the now-mud-free boots back to cloak room.

"If you and Hugo are hungry, I can head out and go shopping. It shouldn't take me too long to get a list together…"

"Mum, don't bother with a list," I said. "We need almost everything. Just go and stock up, the kitchen is _empty_," to emphasize my point, I flicked my wand at the cupboards and they opened, revealing their bare insides.

Mum was silent for a moment, staring at my wand.

"Mum?" I asked, trying to get her attention.

"What spell did you just use?" she immediately asked, now looking at me.

"_A__peri__armarium__,"_ I replied, flicking my wand at the cupboards behind her, who also opened.

"And you used it non-verbally…"

"Yes… why? I'm 17 mum, I'm an adult. I can use magic at home now."

"I know that," she replied, her voice strange again, like before in my room after Hugo spoke about my school-marks. "Close them?"

Rolling my eyes, I twirled my wand quickly in the air above my head and all open cupboards clicked shut.

Eyes wide now, mum opened her mouth, but I knew what she was going to ask,

"_Omnes viciniacra,"_ I said.

She nodded, silent.

I rolled my eyes. "Hey, can you make sure you pick up some owl treats? Eri's are old."

"Yeah, Mug and Pig's too," she said, seeming to have snapped out of whatever she was in. Pig was short for Pigwidgeon, our family owl – he's so tiny! Goodness! – and Mug, Hugo's owl which is short for… well, nothing. Hugo just named him Mug. Poor bird… "I'm going to refresh our potion cupboard as well. More than a few things have probably expired."

"'kay," I said, opening a cupboard with my wand and Summoning a glass from inside, then closing it like before. "_Aguamenti,"_ I said, pointing my wand over the glass, filling it with water. Then, I stuck my wand inside the water, and swirled it around and said, "_S__apo__rvorto__curbisuco__."_

Instantly, the water turned a rich orange color, smoking slightly. Taking out my wand, I tapped the rim of the glass saying, "_Praestrictus,"_ and the glass of transfigured water was now iced pumpkin juice.

Happily, I took a sip.

"Perfect," I said, and wordlessly Conjured a bendy straw, sticking it in.

It was only as I turned around to grab my letter off the counter by the fridge, did I see mum was standing in the doorway, staring at me like she had never seen me before.

"Oh for goodness sakes!" I cried. "Is everyone going to give me that look whenever I use magic now?"

"No," Mum said, but her voice was weak. "I'm going to go shopping now. Tell Hugo I'll be back in a few hours. You'll be okay here, Rose?"

"Of course, mum." I said.

Concern laced her face now. "Maybe I should ask Ginny to stay with you guys…"

"We're really okay mum, but if it makes _you_ feel better, go ahead."

I knew she was going to be like this whenever she left my side. I wasn't eight years old! I could take care of myself. But I understood. I was kidnapped and turned into a werewolf. Possibly tortured. She had to be a worrying mother-hen for a while.

"Yeah. I'll pop by Grimmauld Place before heading to London," she mumbled. Quickly, she shuffled back into the kitchen and planted a kiss on my head, hugging me tight before heading out the kitchen and the front door with an audible click.

A moment later, Hugo could be heard stomping down the stairs.

"Good, she's gone," he sighed, heading straight to the jar of Floo Powder we kept on the counter by the kitchen door.

"Oh no you don't!" I cried, wordlessly Summoning the jar to me before he could grab some.

"Come on Rosie!" he cried. "Not fair!"

"_Don't call me Rosie."_ I ground out. "Mum and dad get a leniency period. You do not. Especially after that whole, 'Rose is a bloody genius' thing you pulled. What the hell? Now mum looks at me like I'm something she's never seen before whenever I do any magic! And they were talking about something called a Cone Meeting and a Merlin Exam outside my door – "

"Yeah, I know. You're not the only one with a pair of Extendable Ears, Rose," he said, walking over to the fridge and opening it, only to shut it again and move to the cupboards.

"There's nothing there either," I said.

"Good Merlin! But I'm hungry!"

Rolling my eyes, I opened my mouth to tell him that's where mum went, to get food, but another voice answered for me,

"Good thing I brought some Cauldron Cakes to tide you over, huh?"

"Aunt Ginny!" Hugo cried, rushing to her and grabbing the package from her hands and ripping it open. "You're a saint!"

She only smirked as I stared at the pig in horror.

"Merlin Hugo, save some for Rose!"

I spun at the voice, a wide grin spreading across my face.

"Adela!"

"Hey girl!"

I jumped up and hugged her tight, squealing with joy and surprise.

"Girl, has Eri forgotten where I live or have all your quills mysteriously broken?" she demanded with a wry smile, putting her hands on her hips. "I've been feeling famously neglected!"

"I'm sorry, El! I think she has, actually. And no, my quills are fine, thanks for asking. It's the strangest thing though: all my inkwells dried up overnight!"

She snorted and we burst out laughing.

"How did you get here?" I asked after we calmed down enough.

"I figured you'd want a friend to keep you company today, Rose," said Aunt Ginny from the counter, where she was unloading a few more goodies that Hugo immediately took hostage.

"Thanks Aunt Gin," I said, sincerely meaning it, giving her a smile, which she returned.

"What's this?"

I turned at Adela's question and saw her at the counter where the letter was (still) sitting and (still) unopened.

"I got that a few minutes ago from Eri. I haven't opened it yet."

"Who's it from?" Hugo asked, except it sounded more like, "Zoose'eat rum?" with his mouth full of custard-filled Cauldron Cakes.

"Dunno," I said. "I didn't check. Eri wanted some owl treats, but we don't have any that are good."

She turned it over, looking at the handwriting, "I don't recognize the writing, and this is some fancy envelope parchment." She held it up to her ear and gently shook it. "It's heavy and I hear something inside."

Instantly, it zoomed from her hand. I turned and saw Aunt Ginny with her wand pointed at Adela and the envelope now in her hands.

"Aunt Ginny? What –" I asked, confused.

"I'm certainly not taking any chances, Rose. If you don't know who this is from and there's something inside…"

"Aunt Ginny, Eri – _my owl_ – went and got this for me herself, on her own whim. You don't know – "

"That's right. We _don't know_. There's a few other things we don't know either, Rose, that are just – if not more –dangerous. And Erimentha could have been Summoned to get this to you."

"That's really Dark Magic, Mrs. Potter," Adela said, her voice absent of her snark. She sounded completely serious; I could count on one hand – and still have a few fingers left over – the amount of times I have ever seen Adela McKinnon be _completely _serious. "To affect an owl."

"I know, Adela. That's why we have to be sure, Rose. Especially after everything that's happened to you," Aunt Ginny said.

"I really don't-" I began to protest, but Hugo – without the Cauldron Cake accent – spoke over me.

"Humor us Rose."

I sighed.

"Fine. Whatever."

She took the pot of Floo Powder from next to me on the island counter and headed into the fireplace in the living room. We all followed. She pointed her wand at the hearth and said,

"_Incendio,"_ starting the fire and throwing a handful of the emerald green powder into the flames. Then casting a non-verbal charm on the now-green flames, she stuck her head into the fire.

We waited a few moments, unable to hear or see who she was talking to, before she pulled her head out and stepped back from the fireplace.

"Who-" I began to ask, but a moment later there was a _woosh!_ and out of the flames stepped my Uncle Harry.

"Let me see Gin," he said, holding out his hand for the letter. Gingerly she handed it to him and he turned it over in his hands, looking at it closely.

Suddenly, he turned to me, holding it out for me to take.

"What? That's it?" I asked, shocked as I took it from him.

"Harry? What-" Aunt Ginny began to ask, but he spoke.

"I know who this is from. It's nothing Dark, Rose, though you all did the right thing by being suspicious."

"Okay…" I said, gobsmacked.

"Go ahead and open it, Rose," Uncle Harry said. "Send Eri if you have any questions, or just ask your mum. She'll know all about it. I have to head back to the Ministry though and help your father. We'll both be back late tonight," He said the last part to both Aunt Ginny and me.

"Alright," she said. "When Hermione get's back I'll ask her if she doesn't mind a bit of company tonight. I certainly don't feel like cooking by myself for the kids so I'll just have them round here, yeah?"

"Sounds good," Uncle Harry said, giving her a quick kiss. "See you all soon I imagine, Rose, Hugo. And I'm sure you'll be there too, Miss McKinnon," he said.

Adela rolled her eyes. "You've known me since I was eleven Mr. Potter. You can call me Adela. I feel like you're a professor when you call me that," she visibly shuddered.

He chuckled. "I'll break the polite habit someday. Maybe by Lily's wedding, huh?" and chuckling, he stepped back into the fire, calling,

"Auror Headquarters, Ministry of Magic!"

"Alright then," Aunt Ginny said. "Rose, could I borrow Eri, then? I haven't been assaulted by Pigwidgeon yet, like he always does when I come to visit, so I expect he's out sleeping with Mug. I'll send a note to James, Al and Lily to tell them to get over here. You don't mind, right?"

"Nope, that's fine. I haven't seen them in a while."

"Perfect," she smiled.

"I'll be right back then with Eri, some parchment and a quill. Come on Adela," I said, heading out of the kitchen and up to my room.

Once there, Adela let out a low whistle. "Jeez. Your room is _dusty!_ Haven't you had a chance to clean yet? You've been home almost a week!"

"What are-" I began, but thankfully, I stopped myself.

_She doesn't know. She doesn't know I'm a werewolf. She thought I went home the day after she had last visited me. That's why she said about not contacting her… oh Merlin…_

She looked at me strange.

"Sorry. Wow. It just hasn't seemed like that long I guess. I've been busy helping the family with the rest of the house. Didn't really worry too much about being thorough here, as I'm just going back to Hogwarts in a month's time," I quickly lied.

"You're so weird," She laughed. "You're of age! You can use one of your super-duper do-all spells! Duh!"

"Duh!" I laughed, too, and to placate her, I raised my wand swept my wand across the expanse of my room, casting a non-verbal cleaning and tidying spell. Within moments, my room was clean and cheerful and bright.

"Now isn't that better?" she said sardonically.

I threw a pillow at her.

Wordlessly, I Summoned a quill, inkwell and parchment from my desk and held out my arm to Eri.

"Come on girl. Aunt Ginny's got a job for you,"

She hooted and glided over onto my arm and I quickly made my way back to the kitchen with Adela.

"Thanks, Rose," Aunt Ginny said, taking the parchment and things and writing a quick note and giving it to Eri. "Grimmauld Place. You know the drill, girl."

She took off with a resonating hoot of confirmation out the open kitchen window.

"You still haven't opened that Rose?"

"No, Hugo. I've been a bit busy!" I replied, but now broke open the envelope, pulling out a thick piece of parchment and then dumping what looked to be a dark colored marble into my hand. Instantly, upon touching my palm, it turned bright green.

"What the – "

"Oh brilliant!" Hugo cried and snatched it from my hand. "He got the prototype perfect then!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, a bit annoyed, but it was Aunt Ginny who answered.

"Your Uncle George was working on a new item for the shop, part of the old security collection that was highly popular back during the Second Wizarding War. It's been revamped, what with everything that happened to you. That, if I remember correctly, is an Authenta-Ball. It turns green upon contact with the correct recipient. It will turn red, if intercepted and opened by the wrong person and send a signal to the Auror office."

"Wow," I said.

"It's not something that Hogwarts students can buy. It's mostly Ministry-level, for important letters and such. Things that are private. If he's got it working and selling it, then he'll be making quite a few galleons off these."

"More than a few!" Hugo said gleefully. "Uncle George is going to be ten times richer than he already is, selling these!"

Rolling my eyes, I turned back to the parchment.

"What's it say, Rose? Who's it from?"

Stunned, I said,

"It's from McGonagall,"

* * *

_Saturday, July 27__th__, 2024_

_Miss Rose Weasley,_

_Foremost, I want to express my happiness of your safe return, and wish you a speedy recovery of anything that is left to heal._

_ Secondly, this letter is in my duty as Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to inform you that for you to be eligible to attend your Seventh and Final Year at Hogwarts this September First, you must pass your Final Exams in all your scheduled classes. Regretfully, this is due to your absence before the end of the year._

_ Because of your outstanding transcript and the late date, you will only be tested on what you had learned prior to your absence from school. If you pass you will be given tutoring by all your professors after hours on what you had missed at the end of last year, once you arrive back at school._

_ The test is scheduled in two week's time, starting on Saturday, August 10__th__, 2024 and ending on Tuesday, August 12__th__, 2024. Thus, it will be three days of four to six tests each day, depending on the subject, for written and practical, each test being one hour in length total. Schedule is as follows:_

_Saturday, August 10__th__, 2024_

_Charms: 7:00am-8:30am – WRITTEN_

_8:35am-9:05am – PRACTICAL_

_History of Magic: 9:35am-11:05am – WRITTEN_

_Transfiguration: 12:05pm-1:35pm – WRITTEN_

_2:00pm-3:30pm – PRACTICAL_

_Sunday, August 11__th__, 2024_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts: 7:00am-8:30am – WRITTEN_

_8:35am-9:05am – PRACTICAL_

_Herbology: 9:30am-11:00am – WRITTEN_

_11:25am-12:55pm – PRACTICAL _

_Potions: 1:55pm-2:35pm – WRITTEN_

_2:40pm-4:10pm – PRACTICAL_

_Monday, August 12__th__, 2024_

_Ancient Runes: 7:00am-8:30am – WRITTEN_

_Arithmancy: 8:55am-10:25am – WRITTEN_

_Astronomy: 11:25am-1:55pm – WRITTEN_

_2:00pm-3:00pm – PRACTICAL_

_All tests will be given at the Ministry of Magic in London, Level 10 in the Wizengamot Audience room. A Ministry Official will be administering the tests, both written and practical, and your written scores and practical performance will be sent to your professors for review and grading._

_ If you have received the required marks on the exams, you will receive your normal, pre-start of term Hogwarts letter a week later like the rest of the student body._

_Wishing the rest of your summer and your test results well,_

_ Minerva McGonagall_

_ Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_P.S. I also wanted to clarify that your condition will be of no consequence to your attending. Professor DeVane will be more than willing to brew the Wolves Bane Potion and any missed work due to your condition will be treated with extended due dates._

_I am very sorry this happened to you, Miss Weasley. So very sorry indeed._

* * *

I read the contents of the letter out loud, omitting only the postscript.

"That is so bogus!" was the first thing Adela said. "You shouldn't have to take your final exams to attend your last year! You were bloody _kidnapped_ for Merlin's sake! Jeez! Has McGonagall no bloody heart!"

"I'm sure she'd let Rose back in without a second thought," Aunt Ginny said, "but her hands are tied by the Ministry, the Board of Directors, Wizarding Law…"

"But she's Headmistress for Merlin's sake! She's _bloody Minerva McGonagall!_"

"El," I said, chuckling slightly at her distress. "It's-"

"And why the bloody hell are you _laughing Rose!_ This is mad!"

Suddenly, there was a rush of footsteps from the living room and then,

"Who's mad?" said James.

"Well, Rose for one," replied Albus, coming in behind him.

"Beside's her," James replied.

"Hugo. He's twice as mad as Rose is," said Lily, ever loyal.

"I don't know. That McKinnon bird could very well top them all in madness quota," Al smirked.

"Nah," said James. "The Weasley gene tops any other in crazy. It's a fact. Binns told me."

"Of come off it you three! Everyone knows the Potters are bloomin' nuts, the lot of them!"

I spun at this new voice and my throat closed up.

Scorpius. Scorpius Malfoy.

_I didn't ask Healer Malfoy what he decided, what he chose: to forget my lycanthropy… or not._

_What did he choose?_

_WHAT DID HE CHOOSE?_


	8. 6: life's under no obligation

"_Nothing has turned out the way we expected. It never does._

_Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect._

_We take what we get and are thankful it's no worse than it is."_

_- from the novel: 'Gone With the Wind'_

* * *

Chapter Six: _life's under no obligation_

* * *

_(July 27th, 2024 – 6:37pm) - _**ROSE**

* * *

"Oi! Look who's talkin'!"

Adela's voice shocked me out of my paralysis and I immediately hid my panic of seeing him from my face.

_I'll know. I'll know what he chose when he looks at me. If there's pity, fear, uneasiness, worry, anything but normalcy… I'll know he knows._

I didn't know if I even wanted him to know. Did I, or… not? Right at this moment, I was so conflicted my brain had mostly shut down, reducing me into a fear-laced vegetable. I averted my body from facing his directly, instead watching him from the corner of my eye, sipping on my drink.

Scorpius opened his mouth to retort back at her, when Hugo – a boy ruled completely by his stomach – cried,

"Hey! How do you have iced pumpkin juice when there's nothing else in the house?" He reached out to snatch it from me, but I slapped his greedy fingers away and I rolled my eyes.

"I made it myself, that's how greedy-bones," I said, taking a deliberate drag through the straw, staring at him while I did it.

He scowled.

"How the heck did you do that Rosie?" inquired James, staring with the same greed present in Hugo's eyes. _Goodness!_

My eyes narrowed. I opened my mouth to respond and scold him for calling me Rosie – he certainly knew better! He's been on the receiving end of one of my Bat Bogey Hex's more than a few times at school – but Scorpius spoke first,

"She's _Rose_, James. That answers both your question, and the verbal lashing she was about to give you. You're welcome."

Lily, Adela and Aunt Ginny made no attempt to hide their mirth of James's flushed face.

I turned to grin at Scorpius – momentarily forgetting my distress – and pulled my wand from my jeans pocket, and pointed it at my drink.

"_Engorgio augepotus."_ the glass and drink swelled in size and contents, and then with a jab and clockwise twist, I said, "_Effingo. Rupleo._" the drink duplicated itself and the new drink refilled itself to the brim. Wordlessly, I handed it to Scorpius.

He grinned back and as our eyes locked, I knew.

_He doesn't know._

_ He doesn't know I'm a werewolf… a monster…_

_He __**chose**__ to not know… he __**chose.**_

In this one realization, my heart _broke._ I did not expect it. I did not expect to feel like my insides had been removed and all that remained was… _empty. _I was… desolate.

For the briefest of moments, my face dropped its mask, and I knew the full amount of my anguish was visible. And I knew he saw. His expression turned to one of shocked confusion, by my swift emotional expression change, and I saw him open his mouth to ask what was wrong, but by then I had regained my composure and turned away.

In those moments the rest of the group had exploded into whines of,

"I want one!" -Al

"Not fair, Rose!" -James

"How come he gets one?" -Hugo

"Ooh! Make me one, too!" –Adela

"Can I have one, please, Rose?" –and Lily.

"Good Merlin!" then came Aunt Ginny's cry. "Do none of my sons have manners? Don't you dare make them one, Rose. They can wait until your mother gets back."

This only brought on a loud string of protests and groaning as I made three more drinks, handing them to Lily, Adela and one for Aunt Ginny with a smile.

"Mum! What! Not fair! Why does Lily get one?" whined James.

"Yeah! That's favoritism!" added Albus.

"Lily gets one because _she_ was polite," snarked Lily herself, taking a big sip of the drink and flooding her face with torturous contentment. "and didn't resemble a wild animal."

"Why don't I get one, Rose! I'm your brother for Merlin's sakes!" burst out Hugo, looking like he was mortally wounded I was denying him phoenix tears to save him!

"Oh for the love of Merlin, Hugo! You're not going to _die_. And it's your own damn fault you inhaled all those Cauldron Cakes at once! Deal with water from the tap! It's not going to kill you!"

Grumbling, along with Al and James, Hugo stalked outside calling for an impromptu game of Quidditch.

We all followed, even Aunt Ginny, out to the shed by the greenhouse to grab our broomsticks and equipment. The shed was magically enlarged on the inside with an Undetectable Extension Charm and Dad had set up an unique spell that I came up with, to magically connect our shed to those at all the other family houses: the Burrow, the Potter's Godric's Hollow House (Grimmauld Place didn't have a yard, and that was more of an office/house than the real Potter home. They were only there occasionally, mostly when Aunt Ginny was working on a _Prophet_ article.), Shell Cottage (it had been renovated and expanded once Victorie, Dom and Louis had been born, there not being enough bedrooms or normal house space to encompass them), and the Scamander Tower (it was the repaired home of Luna's near the Burrow, where she, her husband Rolf, and her twin sons, Lorcan and Lysander, lived).

(Uncle George, Aunt Angelina and cousins Fred and Roxanne lived in the large flat over Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. They had bought both buildings on either side of them and connected both: the bottom for the shop and the top for the home. They had no lawn, either. They kept their brooms at the Burrow shed.)

By all the shed's being connected, we'd all be able to use our own brooms and equipment at any location. I got the idea after hearing the story of the Battle of the Tower, where… well, Healer Malfoy in his school days – where he isn't the man he is now – got the Death Eaters into the castle by use of twin Vanishing Cabinets. Our sheds aren't transporters, though. It has the characteristics of the two-way mirror (now just a shard) Uncle Harry got from his godfather Sirius. We all can see into the other sheds and also reach into them.

Wait.

Now that I think about it, this was the first time Dad or Mum or any one of the adults in the family – or outside, too – ever looked at me strange in relation to how my mind works. What's happening now happened back when I was six as well.

We all walked over to the shed where Hugo opened it up and started handing out people's brooms. James's was the Scarlet Falcon 1500, Hugo, the Sienna Storm, Albus, the Scarlet Hawk 2000, Lily, the Nimbus 5500, Adela was handed one of the dozen spare brooms – a Cleansweep 8000 – and Scorpius was given a spare as well, his a Phantom Seeker. I was handed mine, a Shadow Chaser 500.

Aunt Ginny grabbed her broom, to everyone's surprise, after Hugo got out of the way: the Firebolt 3000, which she used her days of being a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies.

"Are you playing Mum?" Lily asked.

"Yeah," she said, but she was looking at me with a knowing glint in her eye as I held my broom with a reluctant stance.

_Aunt Ginny never misses a beat. She must've seen my expression before, once I realized Scorpius didn't know._

I gave a nod of silent thanks as I put my broom back in the shed, picked up the Quaffle, and shut the door.

"She's going to take my spot as ref. I don't feel up to it," I said.

Everyone was awkwardly silent for a moment before Albus – ever the Quidditch nut – started assigning teams and positions.

"Okay, so we're three-on-three. We'll play two Chasers, one Keeper each then. It'll be myself and Adela as Chasers, Scorpius as Keeper, against Lily and Hugo as Chasers and James as Keeper, then."

I tuned them out as we walked out of the backyard and garden, heading down behind the pine trees that lined the yard to the large valley-like pasture in between the next line of tall trees heading down to the lake far below. It was set up in a slightly smaller fashion to a real Quidditch field, with the golden goal posts and everything in the ground.

Aunt Ginny walked beside me as everyone else went ahead – still bickering over teams and positions – as I slowly made my way down to the field.

"You alright, Rose?" she asked.

I took a moment to respond. Nervously, I pulled the collar of my shirt higher up my neck, trying to effectively hide the scar, even though I knew it was hidden under the bandages with the Soothing Salve on them. It still throbbed.

"No. But I will be. Someday."

Wordlessly, she nodded, as we finally made it to the pitch and it seemed they had all finally agreed on things. Without a word myself, I tossed Albus the Quaffle, and took my spot in the tall, thick, unmown grass on the very edge and highest part of the pitch, to watch.

To be honest, I didn't really watch.

Because every person up there, excluding Aunt Ginny and Hugo, didn't know. They didn't. They knew nothing of my situation, how I wasn't really back. The Rose they knew almost five months ago was gone. Forever.

This person they had now wasn't me, wasn't Rose. She was the changeling put in her place… a monster.

I knew I could tell no one; they could never accept this Rose.

Because she wasn't.

She was not Rose… not anymore.

_How could someone ever love me again?_

And all at once, I couldn't take it anymore.

I jumped up, and _ran._ I ignored the calls after me after I disappeared into the trees, heading down towards the lake, down until I was past the property line. Once I knew I was clear, I concentrated, thinking hard of one place, and one place only.

A voice, close and overhead called out for me, but they were too late.

Just before I Apparated, I saw it was Scorpius.

* * *

_(July 27th, 2024 – 7:22pm) - _**SCORPIUS**

* * *

Mrs. Potter was the first to see Rose jump and run. I spun my broom around as she tore across the pitch below and disappeared into the tree line. Immediately, I pushed my broom after her – the game completely forgotten (and to be honest, I wasn't even paying attention much to it in the first place, rather the red-headed girl sitting below) – but knew I couldn't see her through the trees. I slowed my broom down and instead drifted, listened hard. The way she had tore out of there, I knew she'd make noise as she made her way through the treeline as well. I was right, as I heard crashing below me and I followed it to where the trees ended.

A second later, Rose burst out of the trees, a few twigs and leaves in her wild, flaming hair.

"Rose!" I called, knowing a second too late where she had come out and what she was going to do.

The moment before she twisted away, she glanced up and saw me. The expression on her face in that instant…

Everyone else caught up with me a moment later and I told them what had happened.

"She's gone. Disapparated."

Mrs. Potter sped off without a word back to the house, Lily and James following her. Al, Adela and Hugo stayed in the air with me, each of them looking baffled.

"What happened? Why did she tear off like that?" Al asked.

Adela shook her head, she didn't know. Her expression was one at a loss; she looked immensely worried and a bit scared.

"What…" she whispered. "What if Rose isn't healed? What if that was whoever took her, calling her back or something?"

"Your dad checked to see if she was under the Imperius Curse, right Scor?" Al asked.

"Of course!" I replied. "She's not!"

"Well what was that th-" Al shot back heatedly, but was cut off by Hugo.

"No."

We all looked at him.

"No, what?" Adela asked.

"You guys don't know what you're talking about. You have no idea what she's dealing with right now. I think everything and everyone just got too much for her and she needed space."

"What are you talking about? She doesn't remember anything about the time she was gone, right?" Al said.

Hugo's face became hard and angry.

"_Shut up. _You don't know, Al!" he turned his angry, furious gaze on the rest of us, "None of you know! And you never will! She can't bear to tell anyone else and it's killing her!"

Without another word, he turned his broom back towards the house and sped off.

We all looked at each other, non-plussed.

"What was… what did he mean?" Adela said, looking a little shell-shocked by Hugo's outburst.

"I don't know," I said, frowning.

I felt something stir within me, a feeling… a feeling that something wasn't right; there was something big, something important, we didn't know. Something we were being _kept_ from knowing.

Without a word, all three of us headed back to the house.

What the other two didn't know, is that I didn't plan on stopping at the house. I was going to find her.

_But something tells me Rose doesn't want to be found._


	9. 7: live as if this is all there is

"_Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness._

_Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn._

_Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is._

_-Mary Anne Radmacher_

* * *

Chapter Seven: _live as if this is all there is_

* * *

_(July 27th, 2024 – 7:30PM) - _**ROSE**

* * *

I went to the last place I had been truly happy.

Before the kidnapping…

Before the lycanthropy…

Before the secrets…

Before the loss of Rose…

Before…

Everything.

The sun had just begun to set.

With a crack I Apparated in the middle of a deserted gravel and dirt road; it was lined on my right with a thick line of trees and brush, and on my left was an immense field of yellow grass almost as tall as me.

A gentle breeze blew across the field of tall grass, creating waves that mirrored the ocean. It washed over me, billowing my shirt and long flaming red hair gently behind me.

I closed my eyes and smiled. Truly, truly smiled for the first time since I was found.

I started walking.

The chirp of crickets had just begun to sound, the cicadas song fading away as the day waned into night. The birds, too, had started to end their cacophony.

I didn't have to walk that far, perhaps a half kilometer, before the dirt road forked: to the left, it went into the field, and to the right, the forest was now the roads natural guardrail. I took the right and walked another half kilometer before the road narrowed and the red-clay roof showed through the treetops up ahead.

Once I saw that familiar roof, my smile widened into a full out grin and I sped up my pace which soon turned into a sprint. I reached the cottage within moments.

_Briar Cottage._

I stopped abruptly at the slightly rusted iron gate and just drank it in.

The cottage was a small, two-story building with the once white siding worn by time and weather. The shutters were painted a rusty clay red, matching the clay-tiled roof and wooden steps that led to the worn porch. The front door was a bright blue with a gold-plated knocker in the center of the top panel.

A wooden bench hung on the left side of the porch, the chains a little rusted and painted seat chipped and peeling in places.

There were leaves and dirt all over the brick walk, the porch and steps. The gutters looked overflowing with debris and the charming front-yard gardens were overgrown and slightly wild. The panes in the windows were dirty and even from where I stood, the white-laced curtains inside the house looked filled with dust. Ivy had taken over the entire right side of the house. The brick chimney was covered as well.

It was far worse than my house in Cornwall had been. That house had only been abandoned for four months, though. We hadn't been here since I was fourteen, more than three years ago.

We had come here for the summers, ever since I was little. The Potters usually visited for about a week or so, as did the rest of the Weasley's throughout the summer. From the time I was born until age 10, we stayed the whole summer. The next year, I attended Hogwarts, and we only stayed from late May to the last week of July. Adela started joining us that year. Once Hugo started at Hogwarts two years later, we only stayed during June. The next year, only two weeks could be coordinated with our parents busy schedules at work and all of my cousins assorted activities.

That was the year I was fourteen, and so was the last year we came.

Those summertime visits out here at Briar Cottage were the best. I still had my childhood innocence, playing games of wizard tag with my little brother and cousins in the surrounding forest, yard and field. We set off Weasley Fireworks at least three nights a week and played endless games of Quidditch with all the cousins and adults in the nearby field. There were midnight marshmallow roasts, and we would catch fireflies at twilight and Uncle George would Charm them to glow different colors…

I was truly happy here.

Rose was; the old Rose.

And I didn't want to forget her just yet.

I placed my hand on the top of the iron gate and gently pushed it open. I walked slowly up the brick walkway, just looking around at everything, taking in everything I saw.

But what I saw, the disrepair and abandoned look to the place, didn't hamper the feeling of home.

The steps and porch creaked as I made my way to the front door, the fallen leaves and twigs crunching and snapping underfoot.

I walked over to the window on my right, pulled out my wand and tapped it twice on the knot in the wooden sill. A moment later, a little bronze skeleton key appeared. Smiling, I picked it up and opened the front door and went inside.

* * *

_(July 29th, 2024 – 9:04 am -_ _Two days later...) -_** ROSE**

* * *

I spent the next two days cleaning and getting the cottage back to the way I remembered it. I weeded the gardens and cut the grass, swept the porch and walk, oiled the gate and fence, washed the windows, aired out the house, did the laundry, repainted the house, inside and out...

Some tasks I had to accomplish with magic because I hadn't the skill to do it the Muggle way, but most I had resolved to do by hand. The gardens and yard, once cut and weeded, were watered and grown with magic, making everything lush with color and life.

For food, I picked blackberries and strawberries from the patches Albus and I found the summer we were seven, and pulled potatoes from the earth in the vegetable garden as well as green beans and tomatoes that had managed to grow on their own since we left. Part of the field farther down was actual wheat, so I Transfigured a bunch into bread and then regrew the stalks I had taken.

I spent the evenings on the swinging bench on the front porch eating my improvised meal and my favorite iced pumpkin juice and watching the sun set. I would write in a journal afterwards for hours until I fell asleep in my bed in my old bedroom.

The first day, I had been silent, just working to keep my mind off everything. But something seemed to have changed within me when I woke up this morning.

I felt… light. Like all my worries and burdens had been lifted; at least for a little while. I really started smiling then, and let out bits of song every few minutes until I started belting out endless lyrics of my favorite classic rock songs and a few alternative-genre bands from the late 1990's and the first decade of this century. Most of them are American bands and artists and for this obsession, I blame Mum. She got me hooked on those old bands when she found that box in the attic of all her old CD's from her time in the US. She was acting as the liaison for the British Ministry in this big legislation battle going on back in 2005 and ended up staying almost a year. She was able to transfer all the music to an Orpheus Orb, so I could listen to it at Hogwarts.

And this is how I was finally found, bursting out the lyrics to Relient K's, _the Best Thing_, while hanging up the last of the curtains on the clothesline.

"I see you've been having a grand old time while worrying your family to death, Rose,"

I spun around, heart hammering, and instinctively cast a Shield Charm as I faced the speaker.

Who I saw made me want to sob in relief and hex her to bits for scaring me almost to death.

So, in the end, it was my best friend who found me.

"Adela?!" I cried in disbelief, hand pressed over my pounding heart. "How in the name of Merlin did you find me?"

She entered the yard, hiking her backpack higher up on her shoulder as she walked towards me where I stood, still shocked to see her here.

I flicked my wand and got rid of the Shield Charm between us. Without a word, she dropped the bag on the grass and then launched herself at me. She crushed me in a tight, almost bone-crushing hug, which to my own surprise, I returned with just as much vigor.

She pulled back and sighed.

"I wish it was me who figured it out." She made a pained face, which was familiar. Adela hated not being the one who came up with great ideas first. She usually was the first, but on the rare occasions one of my cousins was quicker to the draw then she… well, prepare to be Death Glared at for at least an hour.

"Who…?"

But she barreled right on as if I hadn't spoken.

"But he told me, and said that you'd probably not run from me, as opposed to your family."

I was at a loss of who Adela meant by 'he'.

I frowned and made a guess. "Was it Hugo?"

_Smack!_

"Ow!" I screeched, clutching the back of my head where Adela had smacked it. "What was that for?!"

"For being a dolt!" she shot back.

"Then who? Al?"

That earned me another smack.

"Ow! Will you quit it!?" I cried, smacking her back.

She gave me one of her 'You've Got to Be _Kidding Me'_ looks and said, "Not Hugo, you ninny! Stop being thick!"

"I'm not being thick!" I shot back, annoyed.

"Yes you are!" she shot right back, this time smacking me on my arm. "Think! What did I say?"

I frowned, torn between wanting to pout like a petulant child and hex her so I could get back to my happiness, but someone else knew I was here, so I was outed. So, I gave in, and thought back to what she had said about the 'he'.

Unfortunately, 'he' arrived before I could figure out who she meant.

"Oi!" she cried, seeing him before me. "I told you to wait five minutes before coming after me!"

"I did! It's been six!"

She rolled her eyes and once he was within striking distance, he too got a smack to the back of the head.

"Ow! What the heck!"

"Your snark isn't appreciated!" she cried, glaring.

I was rooted to the spot, staring at him.

The absolute last person I thought would find me.

"Scorpius?"

He gave me a small smile.

"Hey, Rose. Are you alright?"

I opened my mouth to respond but the words died on my tongue.

Scorpius figured out where I would go? But… we're not really even friends! How could he know this about me… he never came here with Al…

Still confused beyond belief, I swallowed, and tried again.

"Why don't you guys come inside?"

Adela and Scorpius shared a quick look that I ignored, and walked back up the brick walk and through the open front door.

Turns out, a lot had been going on while I was missing.

And only now, because they had been caught in lies, was I made aware of a few more recent developments in my friends and families lives.

It was Scorpius figuring out where I was that piqued my suspicious questioning once they followed me inside. We sat at the round oak table in the kitchen – it sat five comfortably, and on the occasions that more places were needed, Dad would Transfigure it in the garden to one a size that would fit our present needs – sipping chilled lemonade and sweet blackberries.

None of us spoke at first. We all avoided each other's eyes, suddenly shy. In the end, my curiosity got the best of me, and before I all my questions could explode from my mouth, I asked the first that had started this madness.

"How did you know?"

Scorpius's gaze shot from where he was studying the white tablecloth below his hands to my eyes which I knew were intense with want. Want for knowledge. I was confused and I don't like it.

He opened his mouth to speak and shot a glance to Adela – filled with questions of his own, and what looked like a little bit of confusion, which I also didn't understand – who then jumped in for him.

"Well, Rose… I – I was going – we were going to tell you! It kind of just happened! You were missing and everyone was freaking out, and it – it just happened!" she stammered, sounding nothing like the confident, snarky Adela I knew.

"What happened?"

She seemed to not hear me and just barreled on.

"And then you were found! But you were hurt! And you didn't know us! It just wasn't the right time, and then you remembered but it still wasn't… I just – "

Here, Scorpius broke into her ramblings with a shocking statement that brought a little clarity to Adela's confusing hysteria.

"Adela and Albus got together."

_Silence._

Let me tell you, it takes quite a lot to shock me. This was _more_ than enough.

I whirled on Adela.

"_What?_ You and Al… _are dating?_"

She meekly – Adela! Being meek! That was a sign of the apocalypse for sure! – nodded.

I threw my hand to my forehead and fell against the back of my chair.

"But – Al doesn't _date!_"

This, I threw in Scorpius's direction, who had the good sense to cringe, but nod. It wasn't a secret that Albus Severus Potter was a right lady's man. A complete… _player_. He has had tons of "girlfriends" but they were never really, in the proper sense of the word. The longest he kept a girl around – to the best of my knowledge – had been two weeks, and that was back in _fifth year!_

I had always scolded him for his antics towards women of course, but I had figured it to be a teenage boy phase, gone by the time we hit the last two years of schooling. He's not _thick _(usually)_._ But, before I had been kidnapped, he showed no signs of slowing down at all.

I always figured it would just take _the One_ for Al to stop his womanizing ways. A girl for whom it was worth it.

But… _Adela?_

Merlin knows she's my best friend and I love her to pieces! Any guy would be _blessed _to call Adela McKinnon their girlfriend! But that's _exactly_ the thing! Al has known her as long as I have, and he's _never _shown serious interest towards her in that way.

This blew my mind.

"I know," Scorpius said, nodding in earnest. "Believe me."

"But, why _Adela?_ Why now? After all these years of knowing her?" I shot at him. "And you!" Whirling on the girl in question, I shot a few more. "_Albus? ALBUS,_ Adela! You of all people know what he's like with women! Why – "

She didn't let me finish.

"Because he was there, Rose! He was there, out of all your family, for _me_, while you were missing! He was sweet and comforting! I knew he had to be freaking out more than me and _still!_ That boy comforted _me!"_

Looked as if the snark was back. _Good._

I looked at Scorpius, at a loss.

"Because she isn't like all of Al's other girls. She _actually_ has a mind of her own. And I don't know why now. It could be a combination of your kidnapping and that it just _was._ And maybe Al just never saw her before now. _Really _saw her."

Scorpius spoke with a smoldering intensity, and I got an inkling that what he said didn't apply to just Albus.

But… the last two things he said…

"Are you happy, 'Ella?" I said, turning to her where she clutched the half-drunk lemonade glass with both hands, looking half to tears.

Her eyes shot up to mine.

"Yes," was her instant answer. She didn't have to think about it at all, which was comforting and made me smile.

"Good. But Al will be assured by me that _I'll hex him beyond recognition if he hurts you_."

She gave a teary chuckle and Scorpius grinned rueishly.

"But, that doesn't answer my question on how _you_, Scorpius, figured out where I had gone."

"Well, I spent a lot of time with Al over the summer and the last parts of school, as you know, but now Adela was with us. She and Al spoke quite a lot about you and childhood escapades here at this cottage. I learned you hadn't been here in years and from their stories, you sounded really happy here. I figured you run to a place that wasn't marred by sadness, as your house and other places are now."

I was once again shocked.

And I didn't like it any more than before.

It hit me then that Scorpius knew me quite well, even if he learned these things secondhand. He wasn't second in our year for nothing after all, I mused.

Standing, I pulled my wand from where I stuck it in my red yard-working boots, and cast a spell.

"_Expecto Patronum!"_ I cried, concentrating on my happy memory.

… but all that came out was flimsy silver vapor.

"Wha-?" I gasped, momentarily speechless. But before Adela or Scorpius could comment – which I knew they would – I centered myself and picked a stronger one. Much stronger. _Whatever happened to me might be dark enough that my previous happy memories aren't enough to counter whatever fear I felt then. Even subconsciously, they torment me._

I took a breath and cast it again.

This time it worked…just not how I expected it would.

There was a pregnant pause before Adela spoke.

"Rose?"

"Y-yeah?" I responded in a shaky voice.

"Isn't your Patronus a horse?"

"Yes."

Silence.

Then, Scorpius spoke what we were all wondering.

"Then why was it a wolf?"


	10. 8: things that give value to survival

"_Some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end._

_ Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment_

_and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity..."_

_-Gilda Radner_

* * *

Chapter Eight: _life is about not knowing_

* * *

_(July 29th, 2024 – 8:10pm)_ - **THIRD PERSON**

* * *

"Albus Potter!" Aunt Ginny screeched up the staircase. "Get down here!"

Her voice reverberated throughout the parlor as well, causing Lily to giggle from where she sat petting her magenta Pygmy Puff, Arnold the Third, on the floor by the empty fireplace. Adela, who was hiding behind Rose, winced.

"What Mum! I was busy –" Al grumbled, appearing at the top of the stairs a few moments later. However, Aunt Ginny had left back to her and Uncle Harry's small home office where she was working on a feature article on the new Harpies manager and couldn't quote, 'Deal with Al's indesressons right now' end-quote. She had even Perturbed the room once back inside, so the screaming and crashing that was soon to follow, wouldn't bother her.

All that stood at the bottom of the stairs was a raging mad Rose and his cowering girlfriend.

Adela, who stood tall and defiant against the burliest of Slytherins, was petrified of a raging Rose. So were most people (sane ones, that is).

Not for nothing, Al was quick at figuring out what was going on, and fled back to his room, locking the door behind him.

Unfortunately, he had forgotten a key piece of defensive information: Rose was 17, and therefore, could do magic outside of school.

He screeched as he turned around at a loud _crack_, and there stood a still seething Rose, and Adela gripped by her arm for Side-Along Apparation.

"Hey, Rosie – I –"

Al had barely gotten her name out before her wand was at his throat.

"_Don't call me Rosie!"_ she hissed.

Al gulped. Rose was right _terrifying_ when she was mad.

She poked him harder with her wand and narrowed her eyes.

"You hurt her, Albus Severus and I swear to Merlin I will curse you so badly you will never be able to walk right again," Rose breathed, her voice like ice and a dozen times more menacing.

Another gulp.

He nodded, eyes wide and fearful.

Abruptly, her wand was gone from his throat and Rose's threatening demeanor was gone. Albus looked at her sudden grin with more terror than her frown.

"Alrighty then! You guys have fun!"  
And then with a loud _crack_ she Disapparated, leaving Albus and Adela gobsmacked in the middle of his disaster of a bedroom.

* * *

_(August 5th, 2024 – 4:15pm) - _**ROSE**

* * *

Needless to say I was in a bit of trouble for running off.

Mum and Dad were more harried with worry than anger. And I finally got a swift kick in the arse by Reality:

I c_ouldn't_ freak out again.

At least not here, at home, where I was sure Mum was one kettle-screech away from an aneurysm. Even if I was the complete opposite of holding it together, I had to at least act like I was. For my family's sake; maybe a little for mine.

The quasi-house-arrest was actually my idea (for which Hugo looked at me like I was madder than he had ever seen me. I ignored this), not my parents. See, I knew mum and dad wouldn't punish me, so glad to have me back as they were. So I told them, "I won't leave the house without telling you guys first, and I'll only go to public places, if I have to go alone. Otherwise, I'll always have someone also of age with me, just in case."

My stomach was hit hard with guilt, seeing some of the lines etched by worry on their faces straighten out.

And after all, I had exams to study for.

However, I wasn't able to get out of Uncle Harry's 44th birthday party two days later.

It was mostly the same as always: all the men got drunk, talked war stories and sang really off key. The women drank as well, but mostly sat together and gossiped. All the kids got into various degrees of mischief: Lorcan and Lysander set loose some Cornish Pixies, Fred and James set off some fireworks, singeing a few gnomes in the process, a horrible game of drunk Quidditch, Roxanne set up food pranks with Louis; Lily, Molly and Lucy giggled a lot, Adela and Albus joined Teddy and Victorie in the art of massive PDA, however hidden around the property. I scowled and read.

So, here I was, over a week later, sitting on a pile of cushions in the middle of my bedroom floor, surrounded by a circular wall of books. Each tower was 20-books tall at least, some teetering precariously over the half eaten sandwich that had been my lunch (which had been abandoned five minutes after Hugo brought it up, at noon. It was almost suppertime now).

I had my copy of _Theories of Transubstantial __Transfiguration_ open in my lap, studying the wand movement for the Aquae spell. It was terribly tricky, and looked to see if Hugo had gotten that glass of water for me yet.

"Hugo!" I cried, frowning. "What could possibly be taking so long?"

No sooner than I had finished speaking, he appeared in my bedroom door, a glass of water in his hand.

"I don't see why you couldn't just Conjure or Summon one yourself…" he grumbled, leaning precariously over the stacks of books to set it in front of me on the rug.

"You said you wanted to watch me practice, and I told you that you could, if you got me things I needed to Transfigure. You agreed. So stop whining, and watch."

He rolled his eyes and settled himself on the edge of my bed, watching me and the glass of water expectantly.

I took a breath, ran through the movement directions again in my head and tried the spell. I curled my wand 180 degrees to the right, flicked it upwards twice in quick succession, and then spun my wrist in a small clockwise circle, while saying the spell.

_ "Aquae furveo."_

Instantly, the cool, clear water erupted into a cloud of steam that dissipated after a moment of hovering in front of my face.

I grinned, but was startled by applause in front of me at my door. I looked up and saw Mum and Adela, clapping. Al and Scorpius – the tall freaks – stood behind them.

"Nice Rose! I still can't get that right! Mine turns to ice instead of steam," said Adela, making her way into my room.

I rolled my eyes. "That's because you're turning your wand counter-clockwise, instead of just clockwise," I informed her as I glanced at my clock. I cut off my annoyed growl when I saw the time and said,

"You guys are early. Like, two hours early." I closed the textbook in my lap and Banished the multitude of books back to the floor to ceiling shelves that covered all the walls in my bedroom. The only one clear of the shelving was where the doors to my small walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom were.

I stretched my achy legs – I'd been cooped in that little book-fort for almost five hours – and made my way over to my closet.

The rest of my motley group of friends made their way into my room as Mum told Hugo to come help her with the favors downstairs before dinner. There was much grumbling, to which mum just swatted him and they left, Hugo reluctantly.

Al threw himself on my bed, and answered my question to why they were so early. "Well, 'Dela figured you'd be studying up until the last second and would just throw on whatever and call it good. She about had a heart attack and insisted that we get here early to quote save you from another fashion disaster unquote."

I rolled my eyes as I continued to scan my closet and waited for the –

"Oi! What was that for!"

That.

Adela had kicked him.

(I hid a snicker.)

"For being a lousy boyfriend, I assume, blaming her for us being early, even if it's true," answered Scorpius.

I turned around and saw that he was hesitating in the doorway. He ducked sideways, avoiding the small pillow Adela had chucked his way.

Raising my eyebrows at him, I deadpanned,

"You won't contract a noxious disease by being in my bedroom, Malfoy."

He chuckled and gave a pointed look at Al.

"I wish I could take credit for his disease," I replied. "But I'm _pretty sure_ that was you."

He walked fully into my room and sighed comically as he flopped down into my olive green armchair.

"I was young and a slave to my hormones. I didn't mean to be such a bad influence! Forgive me?"

The last part he said to Adela who had been looking between him and Al with a look of bemusement on her face. The latter was trying (unsuccessfully) to look like he wasn't listening.

She shrugged with a wry grin.

"I'll think about it. He's behaved so far."

I turned around to my closet with a snicker as Adela joined me in perusing my options for tonight.

"I don't know why we can't just relax here…" I grumbled. I hated getting dressed up.

"Because this is the Jordan party! We never miss this!" Adela cried in horror that I even s_uggested_ skiving off.

Now, Adela isn't an airheaded-only-fashion-oriented twat (unlike two other Seventh year Gryffindor girls I could mention…). She's actually quite the rebel, dressing outside of class rather radically (and she adorns her uniform with a bit of open interpretation. Some the professors let fly, others…).

She mostly just freaks out over me, because in her words,' I dress like every day is a lazy-sweats-and-T-shirt day' (outside school of course). This is _not true_. I like comfort! And I may or may not (but I totally am; even I'll admit this) be really bad at picking out anything that looks good together. The best I can do is a clean T-shirt and jeans. To her, this is akin to being fond of Flobberworms.

And, she's right. This _is _the annual Carter Jordan pre-back-to-school bash. We _never _miss these.

(Everyone mostly goes for the alcohol and no parental supervision… because that's all the party really is. I'm not_ so_ much of a buzz-kill that I _don't_ like them! Jeez! I just got _exams tomorrow! I don't need to be hungover!)_

Back to the endless bickering, however good-natured.

"Because if we skip it and stay here, you'll slip away from us the first moment you can, back up here and study fifty times more what you already know by heart!" said Al, still lying on my bed.

I grumbled, folding my arms over my chest like a child pouting.

Scorpius tried to hide his snicker.

Scowling fully now, I pulled out my wand and hit him with a quick Charm.

"_Rictusempra!"_

He immediately began laughing uncontrollably, clutching his middle. He flailed around and proceeded to fall out of my armchair.

"Rose Athena Weasley!" gasped Adela scolding me. She grabbed my wand from my hand and rapped me sharply on the arm.

"Oi!" I cried indignantly.

"Put him right!" She commanded. "Tickling Charms are never the answer!"

"Fine," I grabbed my wand from her and preformed the countercharm.

(Very reluctantly.)

"I was only telling the truth, Rosie! No need to overreact!"

"_Don't call me Rosie."_ I hissed between clenched teeth, very tempted to hit Al with the Charm too.

Adela, seeing more violence was imminent, grabbed me by both of my shoulders. She turned me forcefully towards my closet once more and threw a glare at Al over her shoulder.

"Stop baiting her Albus Severus. She's already wound tighter than McGonagall's bun. I doubt Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would appreciate having to buy a new house when she destroys this one in hexing you to bits."

All I heard was petulant huffing from the direction of my bed, and then Adela barreled into dressing me for the party.

In the end, what Adela picked wasn't half-bad.

The boys got bored after ten-minutes of Adela's deliberation and went downstairs to play a game of wizard chess before they got ready.

I wore a sheer, floral patterned blouse underneath a pale pink, scoop-neck sweater. The material was thin and the sleeves cut off at my elbows. I donned a short, flowy and darker-printed floral skirt. Adela put big bangley bracelets on my right wrist and three necklaces: one with small, magenta beads, which was the longest, hanging to my waist; one that reached to my naval, made of round silvery links; and the last reached just past my collarbones, and was made of pale, coral shells. In my ears, I wore large, white, oval-hoops and on my feet I wore two-inch pale blue leather ankle boots.

She brushed out and had me use a Charm to straighten my hair. She then re-curled it, making the curls long, loose and wispy, framing my face. The rest was left in waves. She put minimal make-up on my face, keeping to a very natural, rosy look.

She called my look, 'Indie Sweet'. (Whatever that meant.)

But, I rather liked it.

Her outfit… was jarringly different from mine.

She wore a body hugging romper, the bottoms, short and black; the top – which started just below her breasts and had a high neckline - was white with large, black velvet buttons up the middle. She donned a long-sleeved, bright red blazer that was tailored to her figure. It could be buttoned over her torso, but she left it open. She wore lots of large, mish-matched rings, and a large, silver beaded necklace, cut a little larger than a choker. She wore stud earrings of silver bow-ties and on her feet she wore four-inch, black strappy heels. Her dark hair she pulled into high volume on top of her head and the back in a tight French twist. To bump up the volume even more, she donned a thick head-band in front of the hair bump. Her make-up was sultry and glam, with dark smoky eyes and red lips.

To say Al stopped breathing when we went downstairs was a _massive understatement._

I almost choked myself.

But not at Adela, of course, and Al certainly cleaned up nice… but at Scorpius.

_Oh good Merlin… has he always looked this…? Wow…_

My mind was goo.

He and Al stood at the bottom of the stairs, and my eyes locked with his momentarily. But then, Scorpius looked away, his expression like he swallowed something sour.

I tried to stop it, but my cheeks flushed with mortification.

…_wh-?_

He was dressed in a button-up dress-shirt in pale green with thin, white vertical stripes. He had it unbuttoned the top three buttons and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A light, fitted dark denim jacket was draped over his left arm, gray aviators dangling from his fingers. He had a leather necklace on with two, thin dark metal disks hanging from it with a symbol stamped into one. Loose white khaki shorts, and dark leather thong sandals donned past his waist. He had worn his platinum blonde hair loose and scraggly, instead of slightly brushed back like at school.

Al was dressed similarly, except his shirt was thin flannel, red, white and black checked. He had his dark leather jacket on already and his dark aviators in his mess of black hair. He wore loose blue-jean shorts and sandals in slightly lighter a leather. A black leather watch donned his right wrist.

"Alright! Time to go!" Adela announced once we reached the bottom of the staircase.

I was slightly confused.

"It's only five thirty! We don't usually go until at least nine! Where are we going for three hours?"

"We have to pick up Charlie and Gordon from Diagon Alley at eight thirty. They're still underage until next month, so they gotta Side-Along with us," answered Al.

"And I figured we could get something in our stomachs at the Leaky before we met them," added Adela.

I grinned.

"I call Charlie!"

Adela rolled her eyes and frowned. "Of course you will darling. And Merlin! I hate being underage."

"Don't worry honey, you'll Side with me. Scor can take Gordon," said Al.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be, Adela," said Scorpius as we made towards the front door. "Really."

"Later mum!" I cried. "I'm staying at the Potters tonight!"

"Bye!" she cried from the direction of the kitchen and I heard Hugo swear as something loudly broke.

I snickered.

We walked out of the boundaries of the property, and Adela grabbed Al's arm as we prepared to Apparate to the Leaky Cauldron. It was decided that they would go first, then Scor and me. Al had insisted on me Side-Alonging with Scorpius there, just to make sure I was okay with Apparation.

"Al! I Apparated _across the bloody country_ not even two weeks ago! I was _perfectly fine. _I can Apparate by myself just _fine_."

"Still, Rosie. Your dad would murder me if anything happened to you. And then my dad. And then our mums. And pardon me, but I rather like being alive. So, humor me. _Please."_

I did, but with a lot of angry muttering and cursing at him for calling me _Rosie again._

So, once they turned on the spot and with a _crack! _were gone, I awkwardly turned to Scorpius, and once again my breath caught in my throat.

_ For Agrippa's sake! What is bloody wrong with me?_

Wordlessly, he held out his arm for me to take and wordlessly, I grasped it tightly.

A moment later, we were gone.


	11. 9: life is about not knowing

"_Some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end._

_Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it,_

_without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity..."_

_-Gilda Radner_

* * *

Chapter Nine: _life is about not knowing_

* * *

_(July 24th, 2024 – 5:47pm) - _**ROSE**

* * *

The Leaky was busier than we expected on a Wednesday night in July, but in the end we got a table.

"Why is Carter having this bloody thing on a Wednesday anyway?" I wanted to know, as I sipped my butterbeer.

"Seems lovely Mr. and Mrs. Lee Jordan weren't taking a weekend holiday this year, so Carter planned it for the middle of the week. He claimed it was less likely for them to pop back for something they forgot three days into their holiday."

"Hmm," I agreed, nodding sagely.

Adela snickered.

Albus ordered for all of us – something, I, as "a modern, independent woman", would normally voice my displeasure of (but only because it's one of my knucklehead cousins), however, I refrained after a quick look from Adela – and we surveyed the pub's clientele as we waited for our food.

"Oooh! Is that Becky Marsh from Hufflepuff sitting with _Brian Vern_ from _Slytherin?_" Adela suddenly burst out, causing me to almost choke as I had just taken a drink of my butterbeer.

Al and Scorpius twisted around in their seats – as the direction Adela had indicated was behind them – before she had finished saying Becky's last name.

Suffice to say that Becky Marsh from Hufflepuff is a very fit girl in our year. All the other girls would hate her, if she wasn't so _gosh-darn_ _nice._

And also suffice to say, Al got both his shins kicked for his reaction. I got his right, and his _girlfriend_ got his left.

(He howled like a Blast-Ended Skrewt got a hold of his leg, and not just the point of Adela's heels. He deserved it.)

_Men._

Blessedly – for Al and the rest of us innocent bystanders – our food arrived and Adela was distracted by the artichoke dip. Though, if I know Adela – and I do – Al will get an earful once she had gotten a few shots of Firewhiskey in her at the party.

Halfway through eating there came a large commotion over by the door to the pub. Most people craned their heads to see what was going on, but all us four had to hear was 'football', and know _exactly_ was the commotion was all about.

Everyone groaned.

And looked at me.

"Why me?" I sighed, moving to slide out of our booth.

"Because you're so gosh-darn nice it's disarming to all angry parties, therefore ending the conflict," said Al with (I'll give him this) and entirely straight face.

"Stuff it Potter or I'll tell your Mum about Halloween, Third Year."

Suffice to say, he stuffed it.

(Literally.)

_Men._

"Please don't kill anyone Rose," Adela said quickly before I left.

I rolled my eyes and nodded. "I'll try to resist."

_Good Merlin! I don't have _that_ bad of a temper do I?_ A piece of my flaming red hair fell into my eyes as I pushed my way through the crowd of wizards on the pub floor. _Of course I do,_ I added to myself at seeing my hair color. _I'm a Weasley._

The voices over by the door had risen in volume and vigor and I knew spells would be flying soon if I didn't get there in time. I pushed through the masses harder.

Finally, as Gordon – almost beet-red in the face with Charlie unsuccessfully holding him back – pulled out his wand and pointed it towards the offender of his precious Muggle sport, I reached them and swiftly grabbed it from his hand.

"He- what?" He floundered, wondering why his wand had suddenly disappeared.

Then he saw me.

And my expression.

"Rose!"

"Nice job, Charlie," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. He at least had the decency to look abashed, which is why I always liked Charlie. He's less of a hot-head, too, which is always a welcome refreshment from the men in my family.

"I tried, but Gordon got an early start on the festivities," he said with a wince.

_Oh no._

_ Bad, bad, bad, buggering, SHIT this is bad. _

Gordon wasn't of age.

He was out in a _very public_ and crowded pub, not to mention being so sloshed he already almost got into a duel with some random bloke!

I was afraid to look.

Taking an inward breath to steel my resolve, I turned to Gordon who finally seemed to have gotten over his wand being gone, and seemed to have made the decision to resort to more… _physical_ methods.

Quick as a flash, I cast a non-verbal Full-Body Bind on him before any more damage could be done. I caught him before he fell to the sticky-beer-film-covered floor, but being as I was a tiny 5'4" and Gordon was a monstrously tall boy – like every guy I seem to know – I quickly leaned him to Charlie to prop up.

I then turned to the other party of this confrontation, who looked a bit sloshed himself and said,

"I'm sorry about my friend. Muggle football is just a passion of his and he's –"

"Good Merlin, you're Rose Weasley!"

_Oh here we go…_

"Yes, and I was just sayi-"

Immediately, the guy and his two friends who flanked him changed their entire demeanor, looking shocked at themselves and a bit embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it," he interrupted me. "It was just a friendly argument that got a bit heated. Sorry to have bothered you."

_Oooo-kay?_

"Uh, alright… thanks." I replied with a confused frown. _Huh?_

"Have a good evening Miss Weasley," he said with a crooked smile, and then _bowing_, he and his friends sank back into the masses of the pub.

I sighed and turned back to Charlie and the currently restrained Gordon.

"I'm going to get him cleaned and sobered up a bit, back at the flat. Mind telling Al where we've gone and we'll meet him at the party in a bit?"

"Sure, Rose," Charlie replied as he helped me drag Body-Binded Gordon (which is how I preferred him) out into the back garden of the pub. We propped him up by the trashcans (and the entrance to Diagon Alley).

"Positive you got him?" Charlie asked once more.

"_Yes, mom!"_ I hissed, sicker than ever of everyone treating me like an invalid.

With just a nod, he leaned Gordon up against me. I wrapped my left arm around his torso, gripping my wand in my other hand. I stuck his wand back into his jeans pocket.

"Safe travels," was the last thing I heard Charlie say before the familiar sensation of being forced through a small tube took over. And in the next second, we were on the porch balcony of my Uncle George and Aunt Angelina's flat over Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

* * *

…6:45pm - **ROSE**

* * *

_Smack!_

Gordon bolted upright on the sofa; one hand went to his stinging cheek, the other to his right jeans pocket. However, the item in question that was usually there…

"I didn't _quite_ feel like belching slugs all over the outfit Della slaved over, Gordon McKinley," I deadpanned, twirling his re-confiscated wand (nine inches, rowan, dragon-heartstring, ridged) between my fingers. "So, I took apt precautions."

To his credit, he overlooked my sticky fingers and open palm… and just nodded.

We sat there in silence for a few moments longer before I realized he had _fallen asleep!_

And so, he got smacked again, on his arm this time though.

"Oi!" was his exclaimation. "Wha-?"

"You know perfectly well, 'what', Gordon! Showing up _drunk? _At the _Leaky Cauldron_! In _broad daylight_ no less!" I screeched.

_Whack!_ Upside the head again this time.

"You're underage for three more months, as you very well know, you moron! What if one of my Uncle's P.L.E.A.S. (Public Law Enforcement and Assessment Squad; "Please-men") had seen you? You'd be in Central Booking at the D.L.E. right now!"

One last smack, which (very surprisingly) he took without (much) protest.

Another moment of silence passed, then…

"I'm sorry Rosie."

I gritted my teeth, but said nothing yet. _Gordon McKinley _was apologizing!

"I don't even know why I started drinking…" he trailed off.

I sighed.

"Alright, Gordon. I get it, and anyways, we're cool."

He grinned.

"Ready to go to the party?" I asked with a small smile back.

He looked apprehensive.

"I don't think I should, I'm drunk enough-" his sentence abruptly halted and confusion spread across his face.

I smirked. "You're welcome."

Exaltation lit up his face as he realized what I did for him.

"Woo hoo! One of Rose Weasley's infamous Sober-Up spells! This is _fantastic!_"

I grabbed his arm, chuckling to myself at his elation, and led him back out onto the balcony.

"You so owe me buddy," I said, "But you'll owe me three times more by the end of the night, I'm sure."

Gordon laughed, knowing the wisdom of this.

"I'll happily be in your debt, Rose."

With Gordon grinning like an absolute lunatic, we Apparated to the Jordons.

_Finally._


	12. 10: problem's worthy of attack

"_Problems worthy of attack prove their worth by fighting back."_

_-Paul Erdos_

* * *

Chapter Ten: _problems worthy of attack_

* * *

_(August 5th, 2024 – 11:56pm) -_ **ROSE**

* * *

The party was a blur of music, dancing, drinking and laughing.

I hung with Amanda Brighten, Loraine Sellers and Elva Woods, Gryffindor Sixth years, for most of the night. Adela and Al were off doing… _couple-y things_, and Scorpius was off – well, I didn't know where he had gone to.

Gordon and Charlie appeared often, mostly to bother Elva – the twins had it _bad_. I don't know how they didn't kill each other, fighting for their right to pursue her – who had this sneaky glint in her eye the whole time, flirting shamelessly right back.

When they left for the third time within 90 minutes, both Amanda, Loraine and I turned to Elva with confused expressions.

"El-"

"Oh, I know they both fancy me, guys. Can't I just have a bit of fun taking the mickey out of them?" she chuckled.

We all grinned and agreed; I kept my slight irritation hidden. I really hoped she wasn't going to intentionally break their hearts.

"I honestly don't understand how the both seem fine with the others' pursuit!" said Loraine a moment later.

"Exactly what I was wondering!" I exclaimed.

It was Amanda who offered a speculative reason.

"I think that Charlie and Gordon have kind of an understanding. They're twins, and they both get the others' fancy. I believe they agreed to both pursue her, but whomever she decided on – one of them, or neither – they'd be okay with it."

We both pondered this.

"Okay…" Amanda mused, "I can see Charlie doing that, but Gordon? Him I'm a little skeptical about."

We all let out loud guffaws.

The rest of the evening was about the same as previous Jordan-parties, only this time, I was stopped often – most of the accosters _very_ drunk – to say how glad they were that I was back, no longer missing, yada, yada, yada.

Honestly, I was sick of the attention.

Of everyone looking at me with pity in their eyes, because while they didn't know my injuries and afflictions from the past four months, they did know I was in St. Mungo's for over a month. Therefore, they assumed – and probably the worst.

If they knew what was really going on with me – the monster I had become – they wouldn't be happy I as back, they wouldn't even be within a kilometer of my person! So, I guess it wasn't as terrible as I let on. But still, I don't deal well with people fawning over me. Ugh.

One of the people who had expressed their joy over my reappearance… well, let me just tell it from the beginning:

"Rose! Oh, Rosie, Rosie, Rosie Weasley!"

He shouted clear across the Jordan's foyer, stumbling through the throng of people between us. His red Solo cup sloshed butterbeer all over passerby – Marjorie Platt, a 5th Year Hufflepuff, who plays Chaser for their Quidditch team (though I don't play, my family is _rabid_ about all things Quidditch; the professional teams, and the Hogwarts House teams, so I know why more about every player _ever_ than I _ever_ wanted to know), was a casualty. For being a Hufflepuff, that girl has a violent streak in her. I saw Sybil, her best friend quickly grab her arms before she started swinging – and when he finally reached me, it was empty.

Thankfully.

For as soon as he was within arm's reach, he threw his arms around me, lifted me up in the air and spun me around like a rag doll.

I contemplated the use of an Unforgivable, but only for a moment.

Too many witnesses.

"Rosie-Rose!"

I gave frantic 'Help me!' eyes to the girls, but they just laughed with uncontrollable mirth.

_Worthless._

Once he set me down, I greeted him, my voice dripping icicles.

"Hello, Jamie."

"I was so-so-so worried about my girl! She was just _GONE_, poof! I didn't know what to do with myself! Right, just _right? _My Rosie-Rose!"

"_Don't call-"_

The reprimand didn't get to finish leaving my mouth, for all of a sudden, a certain platinum-blond 7th-year popped out of nowhere.

"Her name is _Rose_, you barmy idiot."

His voice was pure venom.

Now, I hate when people try to fight my battles for me. Usually, I'd tell that person off, as well as the one I was also having it out with, but the fact that it was _Scorpius –_ left me acutely floored.

"I know her name, _Malfoy,"_ Jamie shot back, his happy, friendly demeanor vanishing quicker than one of my _Evanesco_ charms.

"Then use it you _bloody ponce_. For an ex-boyfriend, you sure don't know _shit_ about her."

A dark look crossed Jamie's face, and he threw his cup down in rage and drew his wand just as Scorpius drew his.

Wands at each other's throats, the rest of the party-goers went immediately silent, as if hit with an exceptionally powerful _Silenco._

"Okay, that's quite enough," I muttered crossly, and drew my own wand.

"_Boys, enough."_

Somehow, they didn't seem to hear me at all.

"_Densaugeo!"_

_ "Furnunculus!"_

_ "Protego!"_ came my spell, blasting both of the boys backwards, slamming into a gaggle of poor Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs on either side.

"I said ENOUGH!" I yelled, stepping in the middle of the circle. "Both of you! This is _pathetic! You – "_ I yelled, turning on Jamie, wand drawn. "You are a piece of Flobberworm dung! How dare you approach me after _what you did._ When I said I never wanted to see you again, I _meant it. _Unlike you, not everything that comes out of my mouth is _bullshit."_ Rounding on Scorpius now, I spat, "I can take care of myself you misguided _idiot._ I implore you to let me fight my _own battles."_

"Like you handled being kidnapped?" he spat right back.

I stared at him, feeling like someone had blasted a hole right through my chest.

Instantly, his eyes widened in horror.

"Rose! I didn't –"

"Oh, you meant it," I whispered, voice cold.

"_Ferrum ventrem."_

Scorpius doubled over, clutching his stomach, like he had been punched in the gut. Which, well, he had.

"Asshole," I spat and Disapparated.

* * *

_(August 9th, 2024 – 11:56pm) - _**ROSE**

* * *

I stayed in my room for the next four days, not letting anyone see me.

I turned away all family, even Mum, Dad and Hugo. I turned away all friends. I just wanted to be alone.

And so I studied, my exams beginning on Saturday; which now, was tomorrow.

The first day was Charms, History of Magic and Transfiguration, so now the eve before – less than seven hours from now – I was studying like mad.

I was halfway through my notes on the correct pronunciation of Productivity Charms (specifically the _mens fertilis_ spell) when I was jolted out of my concentration (ironically) by a loud bang on my door.

"Rose! Please, just let me-!"

"_Explain? _Really, Malfoy?" I hissed back.

"Rose-"

I stood up, and stepped over my mountain of parchment and textbooks. Flicking my wand to unlock my door (_aegre reserare_), I wrenched it open.

I wasn't really prepared for what I saw.

Sixty percent of Scorpius's face was bruised and swollen heavily. His lip was split and he was leaning heavily on his right leg.

He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when loud voices broke out downstairs.

"Why in the holy knickers did you let _him_ up there Hermione! I'm going to kill-" came the sudden yelling of Dad from down in the foyer.

"Ronald – they need to talk about it! We need to give him a chance – " came Mom's pleading, high-pitched voice, trying to reason with him.

"I've had enough of this bloody _needing_ when it comes to those _Malfoy's _– "

"Ronald!"

"Oh both of you, shut it!"

Everyone in the house went silent, and I knew that was a lot of people, as Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, Albus, Adela, James and Lily had been kipped here the last four days, trying to talk to me.

Nobody had expected an outburst from Ginny, of all people.

"Get your bloody heads out of your arses! Hermione has the right of it! Oh don't you start on me Ronald Weasley!" she snapped. "How many bloody times did you piss off Hermione with your stupid teenage mouth? And you mister – you're just as bad as he is! Forty-four years old the both of you! You survived _Voldemort_ and you're having a piss-fit over some teenage angst and misunderstanding?"

"But – Gin – " Uncle Harry started.

"You shut your trap Harry Potter."

He shut it.

"Now, _all of you that I get to call mine,_ we're leaving."

"Mum!" cried James in outrage.

"What are you _on_-" came Albus's fiery response.

"Gin!" Uncle Harry tried again.

"I said enough!" Ginny shouted. "Into the Floo! Now! Godric's Hollow!"

They all continued to protest vehemently, but I had tuned it out, now looking at Scorpius, incredulous. I ended up speaking first.

"What happened to you?"

He winced.

"Charlie, Gordon, Albus, James, Adela and Lily happened," came his deadpan response.

I huffed, unfazed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Good to know I can count on them in a fight if we lose our wands," was my only response.

He looked down at his worn trainers, silent.

After a few moments of this, I said impatiently,

"To try and apologize and "explain", you kind of need to _speak, _Malfoy."

"That," he snapped. "Why are you calling me _Malfoy?"_

I snorted, derisive. "Because it's your name."

"No."

I raised my eyebrows. "No?"

"No. My name is Scorpius. So why have you stopped calling me that?"

I snorted with mirth. "If you can't figure that out, then you really don't understand how I feel right now. No apology or explanation will fix this. Not this time."

And with that, I turned on my heel and reentered my room, slamming my door behind it, and locking it (_irrefragabiles crinem_).

I sank to the floor, hugging my knees to my chest.

I waited for him to leave before I let the tears fall.

* * *

_(August 10th, 2024 – 9:32am)_ -**ROSE**

* * *

I Floo'd to the Ministry Atrium at precisely nine-thirty in the morning and made my way over to the visitor's desk.

An older witch sporting a beehive hairstyle – _seriously? _– was scribbling madly upon pastel colored paper, copying information being spoken to her from the Memo Orb on her desk.

"Mister Potter, your signature is required for the following notice. 'Dear Mister Genings, one, Mister Morgan has filed a complaint against you for what he claims was a biased fine related to his large order of Kappa fangs. You have a hearing three days from now, Tuesday, August the Fourteenth at the Wizengamont Hearing Room 30, Ministry of Magic, 10th Floor. You are not required to bring a Representative from the Department of Magical Law, but you are advised to. Yours, Head of the Department of Law Enforcement, one, Mister Harry James Potter."

I snickered.

"What is so funn-" she snapped, as she finished. The pastel paper folded itself into a paper airplane and zoomed off over my head. As she looked up to see who laughed, the words died in her throat.

"What's funny, is of course I arrive as a memo is being penned to my Uncle," I chuckled.

She nervously chuckled in return.

"How can I help you Miss Weasley?" she quickly said, regaining her professional manner.

"I'm here to complete my exams. I am –"

"Oh, yes. Memo arrived a few moments ago, Miss." She ruffled around in a stack of different hued papers and pulled out three of a light blue color. "I need your signature on these two, right at the bottom, authorizing an inspection of your person, and an Auror escort around the Ministry."

I raised my eyebrows incredulously.

"Why in the name of Merlin's soggy left – "

"Rose, why such language?" came a deep voice from behind me.

I spun around. "Kingsley! Uh, Minister, I – "

He laughed. "I understand your incredulous response, but I was cornered into requiring these."

"By whom?"

"Your family."

I scowled furiously. "And you indulged them in this nonsense?"

He shrugged. "It's a small price to pay for their peace of mind, Rose."

My face fell, remembering my promise to myself. Sighing, I turned and plucked a quill from the inkwell on the counter and signed my name with a flourish.

"And the last one?" I inquired of the witch.

"Oh, this is just a letter for you," she replied, a bit nervously, instantly making my brow's furrow in suspicion.

"Who is it from?"

"A Mister Scorpius Malfoy, care of his father, Healer Draco Malfoy," she squeaked.

Seemed like the whole of England knew of what happened at the Jordan's party. I had never hated the publicity of being a Weasley this much until this moment.

I took it from her, and instantly incinerated it.

She squeaked in response.

"If you would so kindly reply for me my response?"

She nodded mutely and handed me my visitor's badge just after a Ministry Security Wizard used the Magical Version of the scanning wands at Muggle airport.

"Thank you Maridith," Kingsley said, "we'll be going now."

We walked in silence to the lifts, a scowl on my face. I began to mutter angrily under my breath, cursing the mere existence of Scorpius Malfoy. Thankfully, Kingsley did not ask me about it.

"The Wizengamont," said the cool female voice and we stepped out of the lift onto the dark marble tile. Taking the right we headed two rooms down to Audience Room Seven. We paused outside the room.

"Thank you for escorting me Minister, despite your busy schedule," I said.

"Do you mind me calling you Rose and not Miss Weasley?" he asked in response.

"As long as you never call me _Rosie_, I don't mind."

"Then please call me Kingsley, except in professional situations. I've known you since you were born. And besides, even after more than twenty years, it feels strange to be called 'Minister'."

I chuckled. "Okay, Kingsley it is."

He smiled, making his eyes light up and his wrinkles scrunch together.

He looked at his watch. "6:51, Rose. You better head inside. Good luck, though I know luck has nothing to do with it."

With that, he turned and strode back down the hall. As I watched him go, I noticed that he did not enter the lift and instead stopped next to a man in dark purple robes, his face obscured.

_An Unspeakable. Strange… I didn't think they came out of the Department of Mysteries. Dad told me they were all unmarried men and women who devoted their entire lives to the department…_

I tucked this information into the back of my mind, and strode purposely into the room, where Professor Artesane, the Charms Professor and Professor Robertson, the Transfiguration Professor stood. I had the History of Magic exam as well today, and I knew quite well that Professor Binns did not leave Hogwarts. A Ministry Wizard sat in his place.

"Hello Miss Weasley," said a voice behind me that I'd know anywhere. Spinning around I cried in surprise,

"Headmistress McGonagall!"

She gave me one of her rare smiles.

"Good luck Miss Weasley. I will be watching."

She moved into the stands around half of the room, where a few more people I did not know joined her: a severe looking witch – almost more so than McGonagall, which is quite a feat – dressed in all brown with a clipboard and a Quik Quotes Quill poised over it; I recognized one of the Aurors from Dad's Department, though I never learned his name, who also gave off an aura of accepting no nonsense; another man, dressed in the bright turquoise robes of the Committee of Experimental Charms; a man dressed in the dark green robes of the Improper Use of Magic Office.

Last but not least were a few people I knew:

Padma Patil, a Director on the Board of Director's for Hogwarts.

Kingsley himself.

And then Mom, Dad, Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny.

_Why are all these people here?!_

And last but not least, entered the Unspeakable I had seen before.

McGonagall spoke.

"Please pay no attention to us Miss Weasley. Just focus on your exams."

Bewildered, I nodded.

Professor Artesane motioned for me to take a seat at the small table set up where the chair that the accused would normally be.

"The quill has been enchanted with an Anti-Cheating spell, and the parchment with an Anti-Plagiarism and Forgery Charm. You will not need your wand for the Written portion of the exam. You have an hour and a half to complete the exam. Begin now."

I took a deep breath, handed him my wand, and opened the exam book.

* * *

Question One:_**Which of the following is CORRECT? Please explain WHY.**__  
a. Food can be conjured out of thin air.  
b. Any object can be Transfigured into food.  
c. Foodstuffs can be increased, Transfigured, summoned from a distance and magically cooked.  
d. It is impossible to make the inedible, edible.  
e. Food-related Charms are some of the simplest forms of magic._

Writing down letter "d", I began to write.

_To make the inedible, edible is a direct violation of Gamp's Law Number…_

* * *

8:50am…

* * *

"Please tell me in incantation with correct pronunciation of the Anti-Gravity Jinx, and preform it."

Without a thought I said, "_Umagravi,"_ causing a white mist to form around Professor Artesane, who floated upside-down.

"Please reverse the charm."

"_Retableifin."_

"Please restore this…"

* * *

10:01am…

* * *

Question Thirty: _**In your opinion, which of the following contributed MOST to the introduction of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in 1692? Choose ONE, and EXPLAIN your reasoning.**__  
a. widespread persecution of wizarding children by Muggles  
b. escalating attempts by Muggles to force witches and wizards to perform magic for Muggle ends  
c. escalating attempts by Muggles to force witches and wizards to teach them magic  
d. increasing numbers of witch-burnings  
e. increasing numbers of Muggles being burned in mistake for witches  
f. failure of Ministry of Magic Delegation to Muggle King and Queen (William and Mary) begging for protection under Muggle law_

_ (f) The drastic change of the issuance of the Statute was caused by a crisis of some sort, and not mere "escalation." It fits with Muggle History, with c. 1692 British history specifically, as Roman Catholics, Protestant nonconformists (Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, etc.) and non-Christians were pressing for official…_

* * *

1:20pm…

* * *

_Question On__e-Hundred and One: __**Which of the following is INCORRECT?**_

_a. An Animagus is able to perform a kind of Self-Transfiguration.  
b. An Animagus is able to perform a kind of Self-Charm.  
c. An Animagus is able to perform a kind of magic that is NEITHER Transfiguration NOR Charm._

_ (b)_

* * *

3:10pm…

* * *

"Please display to correct incantation, wand movement and execution of the spell to conjure me a diamond chandelier."

"_Inanimatus Conjurus. Funale adamas. Tabernes."_

The diamond chandelier appeared without a hitch, floating in the air between us.

Everyone instantly began to mutter excitedly and there were hurried scratching's of quills on parchment. Even Professor Robertson looked taken aback.

"What?" I asked, looking around, bewildered.

Professor Robertson cleared her throat and vanished the chandelier.

"That is all Miss Weasley. Your results will be owled to you the day after the rest of your exams are complete."

"Thank you."

McGonagall rose. "You may go Miss Weasley. Auror Groneman will lead you back to the Atrium," she said, motioning to the Auror. _Now I knew his name._

Still utterly confused, I followed him out, looking back only once to see all the witches and wizards clustered together, still murmuring and writing. I caught one phrase, "Weasley Family Tree."

We walked in silence as I had with Kingsley. As I took the Floo Powder in my hand, he spoke.

"You are an exceptional witch, young lady."

And then he was gone, and I was on my way home.


	13. 11: words have the power

"_One must always be careful of books_

_and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us."_

_- Cassandra Clare_

* * *

Chapter Eleven: words have the power

* * *

(August 11th, 2024 – 6:21am) - **ROSE**

* * *

I got up early to study, right up until the moment when I had to leave for my second day of testing.

It was much the same as the first day upon arriving at the Ministry. Same papers and inspection. I was escorted by Auror Groneman from the day before. We didn't talk at all, which was fine with me, because I didn't feel much like talking.

We reached the Wizengamont room 5 minutes before the exam began, and I was surprised – more than the day before – that the same assembly of witches and wizards, minus my family, were arranged in their same seats as the day before. The only new faces were my DADA Professor, Professor Vigil, Professor Longbottom – who taught Herbology, and my Potions Professor, Professor DeVane.

Professor Longbottom gave me a wide smile, expressed his happiness over my return, profusely apologizing for not visiting. Hannah nee Abbott, his wife, had just had their second child – a girl named Juniper – and their first child, Rowan, had just entered his Terrible Two's.

"It's quite alright, Professor Longbottom. And you know I am always available to babysit. Grandmum Weasley I know would jump at the chance as well."

He chuckled. "I know all two well. I'll keep that in mind. We'll probably need her after we head back to Hogwarts. Hannah would much appreciate it."

I smiled.

Professor Vigil then called me to the table to begin my written exam.

* * *

…7:15am – DADA, Written

* * *

Question Four: _**Match the dan**__**gerous being, plant or potion with the spell, substance or object that will conquer it.**_

_**4-1. Inferi**__  
a. Aconite  
b. Asphodel  
c. Bezoar  
d. Chocolate  
e. Expecto Patronum  
f. Fire  
g. Phoenix tears  
h. Riddikulus  
i. Sunlight  
j. Will  
k. Wingardium Leviosa  
l. Wormwood  
m. NO CURE_

(f)

_**4-2. Werewolf**__  
a. Aconite  
b. Asphodel  
c. Bezoar  
d. Chocolate  
e. Expecto Patronum  
f. Fire  
g. Phoenix tears  
h. Riddikulus  
i. Sunlight  
j. Will  
k. Wingardium Leviosa  
l. Wormwood  
m. NO CURE_

At this question, I paused, a lump forming in my throat. I knew the answer, but I really did not want to admit it. That would truly be sealing my fate, and I wasn't ready. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Taking a deep breath, I marked down (m) NO CURE.

_**4-3 Boggart  
**__ a. Aconite  
b. Asphodel  
c. Bezoar  
d. Chocolate  
e. Expecto Patronum  
f. Fire  
g. Phoenix tears  
h. Riddikulus  
i. Sunlight  
j. Will  
k. Wingardium Leviosa  
l. Wormwood  
m. NO CURE_

(h)

_**4-4. Dementor**__  
a. Aconite  
b. Asphodel  
c. Bezoar  
d. Chocolate  
e. Expecto Patronum  
f. Fire  
g. Phoenix tears  
h. Riddikulus  
i. Sunlight  
j. Will  
k. Wingardium Leviosa  
l. Wormwood  
m. NO CURE_

(e)

_**4-5. Devil's Snare**__  
a. Aconite  
b. Asphodel  
c. Bezoar  
d. Chocolate  
e. Expecto Patronum  
f. Fire  
g. Phoenix tears  
h. Riddikulus  
i. Sunlight  
j. Will  
k. Wingardium Leviosa  
l. Wormwood  
m. NO CURE_

(i)

_**4-6. Draught of Living Death**__  
a. Aconite  
b. Asphodel  
c. Bezoar  
d. Chocolate  
e. Expecto Patronum  
f. Fire  
g. Phoenix tears  
h. Riddikulus  
i. Sunlight  
j. Will  
k. Wingardium Leviosa  
l. Wormwood  
m. NO CURE_

(g)

_**4-7. Imperius Curse **__  
a. Aconite  
b. Asphodel  
c. Bezoar  
d. Chocolate  
e. Expecto Patronum  
f. Fire  
g. Phoenix tears  
h. Riddikulus  
i. Sunlight  
j. Will  
k. Wingardium Leviosa  
l. Wormwood  
m. NO CURE_

(j)

Question Nineteen: _**Which of the following statements is FALSE?**__  
a. Ghosts can cause movement of both liquid and gas  
b. Freshwater merpeople are less warlike than salt  
c. The werewolf's snout is shorter than that of the true wolf  
d. There are no male Veela  
e. Hags have four toes on each foot_

(e)

Question Thirty: _**Which of the following are considered MOST dangerous by the Ministry of Magic? **__  
a. Dementors  
b. Hags  
c. Inferi  
d. Vampires  
e. Werewolves_

(c)

Question Thirty-Three: _**Which of the following is FALSE?**__  
a. Patronuses vary in strength according to which animal's form they take.  
b. There is only one documented case of a person surviving the Killing Curse.  
c. Hags have only rudimentary magic, similar to that observed in trolls.  
d. No defensive spell exists against the Cruciatus Curse.  
e. Giants have traditionally allied themselves with the Dark Arts._

(b)

* * *

…8:52am – DADA, Practical

* * *

"Miss Weasley, we will be employing blocking spells upon being attacked both with magic and physically," Professor Vigil said.

I nodded.

"_Furnunculus!" _he shot the spell at me like lightning.

_ "Protego!" _I cried, whipping my wand up and flicking it to deflect the spell. I quickly sidestepped twice to my right, wand at the ready.

"_Petrificus totalus!"_

_ "Solvere!"_

_ "Trinus!"_

This time I thought quickly, "_Wingardium Leviosa__vitare celeri!" _I cried, twirling my wand from my feet to my head in a quick motion. I shot up in the air, the jinx missing me.

Again, there was silence, then muttering, then frantic scribbling of quills on parchment.

Professor Vigil cleared her throat.

"Okay, let's continue. _Sectam arma! Gladio! Lancea! Scuto! Scipioni!_" he cried, then, "_Piertotum Locomotor."_

The spells he cast conjured up four suits of armor, each armed with a different weapon: one with a sword, one with a lance, one with a shield and the last with a mace.

They immediately advanced on me. Backing up, I slashed my wand in front of me, "_Protego totalum!"_

They were pushed back about three feet, before they began advancing again, this time quite quickly.

The suit of armor brandishing the sword reached me first, and I used _Protego_ again to block his swing that would have decapitated me. As the one with the mace advanced to bash at me I cried,

"_Repello sectam arma__**.**__"_

This time, they were blasted back 15 feet, the one with the mace tumbling to the floor, breaking apart.

Now they were even faster. Thinking quickly I yelled,

"_Incarcerous!_" towards the sword-wielder, then "_Revinco!" _Ropes enveloped it, then the armor crushed in on itself.

"_Reducto!"_ on the shield-bearer, exploding it.

And finally, "_Incitus! Elido!" _on the lance-wielder; it was frozen, immobilized and encased in ice, then with the second spell, it shattered into pieces.

The suits of armor all lay in pieces – some with barely any pieces _left _– on the floor surrounding me. Quietly, Professor Vigil Vanished them all, and told me I was done with her practical exam.

She smiled and winked.

* * *

…9:40am – Herbology, Written

* * *

Question Sixteen: _**Which of the following should NOT be used in cooking?**_

_Alihotsy_

_Bubotuber pus_

_Daisy roots_

_Dragon Blood_

_Mandrake leaves_

_Murtlap tentacles_

_Shrake_

(a)

Question Twenty-five: _**Which of the following plants has NO curative, restorative or protective properties?**__  
a. Alihotsy shrub  
b. Belladonna  
c. Bubotuber  
d. Snargaluff tree  
e. Venomous Tentacula  
f. Wolfsbane  
g. Whomping Willow_

(g)

* * *

…12:20pm – Herbology Practical

* * *

"Alright Miss Weasley, lastly, I need you to correctly remove a fang from this Venomous Tentacula. You may use your wand," instructed Professor Longbottom, stepping back.

"_Stupefy_," I said and immediately it froze. Grabbing a phial off the table, I walked up to it and said, "_Venena effuderis_." Some of the venom from the plant was therefore siphoned into the phial. It was a strange dark violet color. I then pointed my wand at the vial, saying, "_Tueri contra te,_" charming it into a protective salve against itself. I poured it onto my hands, and instantly in turned clear and rubbery over my skin.

"_Enervate."_

The Venomous Tentacula hissed at me and jerked forward to try and bite me. I easily dodged, as it was a bit slow from its recent unconsciousness. I grabbed a bottle of white berries – mistletoe – and walked back over to the carnivorous plant. It launched itself at me again, and I threw the berries down its throat.

Immediately, the plant convulsed and vomited a dark black ooze onto the floor. I immediately vanished it. As I figured, the acid from the vomit was loosening the fangs from the plant's gums.

"_Stupefy," _I said again, and reached my hand inside its maw and pulled it out, and dropped it into another phial.

"_Sanere,_" I said, healing the plant from its own acid and then "_Enervate."_

_Again? _I thought. _Again with the silence? What is this? It's like they've never seen magic before!_

Professor Longbottom was the worst out of all of them. He was looking at me like he had never seen me before in his life.

"Okay…" he said. "You are done with your Herbology exam."

* * *

...2:01pm ;; Potions, Written

* * *

Question Six: _**What is the Levaxin Potion used for?**_

_Used for the calming of the physically injured, and temporarily paralyzes them for safe transport._

* * *

…3:31pm – Potions, Practical

* * *

Professor DeVane handed me a slip of parchment. "You have two minutes to read and remember everything on this parchment, then, from memory, you are to remember all the ingredients and instructions to creating the Levaxin Potion and then successfully brew it."

Taking it, I read:

_Potion: the Levaxin Potion_

_Tools:_

_Pewter cauldron, size 4_

_Set of brass scales_

_Three droppers_

_Knife_

_Mortar and Pestle_

_Measuring phials_

_Ingredients:_

_Almond oil – 3 drops_

_Bluebell root – 3, cut ½ in long and 1/8 inch thick_

_18 juniper berries – 16 to crush, 2 whole_

_Dried lotus petals – 2 oz._

_Lotus seeds - 7_

_Centaur tears – 1 oz._

_Porcupine Quills – 5 oz._

_Rose water – 1 cup_

_Wolfsbane – 2 cups, flowers, whole_

_Ladybugs – 28, crushed, ONLY 6 wing spots in total on each ladybug_

_Fruit bat wing membrane – ¼ cup_

_Rose thorns – ½ cup_

_Mermaid tail scales – 1 cup_

_Instructions:_

_Heat water to a light boil._

_Add 3 drops of almond oil, each one after 1 cut bluebell root, ½ inch long, 1/8 inch thick – three in all. _

_Stir 6 times counter-clockwise, once clockwise. _

_Reduce heat to low flame, leave to simmer for 10 minutes. _

_Bring back to a light boil. _

_Crush 16 juniper berries into a paste, adding 2 ounces of crushed, dried lotus petals._

_Drop two whole juniper berries 2 minutes after adding the lotus petal and juniper berry paste to the cauldron. _

_Stir once clockwise, then counter-clockwise 1 minute later. _

_The potion should be a dark green with an earthy aroma that steams straight upwards._

_Increase heat to a raging boil._

_While the potion is heating up, measure 1 ounce of centaur tears and drop seven lotus seeds into it. They will dissolve within 30 seconds._

_Immediately add them to the cauldron just as it reaches the maximum boiling._

_The potion should turn a violent shade of purple._

_Crush 5 ounces of porcupine quills and soak them in one cup of rose water for 5 minutes._

_Stir the cauldron 50 times clockwise, then add the quills and the rose water to the potion. _

_The potion should turn a pale lilac color, with steam the same hue, curling upwards 3 times before fading._

_Reduce heat and let simmer until the aroma turns into a light vanilla._

_Add 2 cups of the Wolfsbane flowers, whole, flowers only._

_Stir twice clockwise._

_Add 28 crushed ladybugs – only those with a total of 6 spots on their wings, ¼ cup of shredded fruit bat wing membrane, ½ cup of rose thorns and 1 cup of mermaid tail scales, in that order._

_The color should be blood red after the ladybugs are added, a burgundy after the bat wings, tangerine after the rose thorns and finally a light turquoise with the addition of the scales._

_Turn off heat._

_The potion should be creamy in consistency with no aroma and no steam._

* * *

…30 minutes later

* * *

Wide-eyed, Professor DeVane examined my completed potion, exactly as it should be brewed.

"That will be all today, Miss Weasley," said McGonagall from her seat. "We will see you tomorrow."

"Yes, Professor," I replied genially, swallowing my burning questions on _who those people are, and why exactly they were there at all?_

* * *

...6:11pm

* * *

I Apparated home this time, not using the Floo to get back. I was already feeling a bit sick, and I didn't want to make it worse by the spinning. I crossed the dirt road and opened the gate and began walking slowly up to the house.

As I neared, I was surprised to see Grandpa Weasley in our front yard… taking apart our lawnmower.

_Dear Merlin._

"Hey Grandpa!" I called as I approached.

There was a clink of metal on metal and a yelp of pain.

I rushed over.

"Sorry! Are you okay?" I said, feeling stupid for sneaking up on him. He was always so focused when he was examining Muggle things, it was like the rest of the world disappeared.

He pulled out his hand from underneath the thing, and I saw blood.

"_Shit."_

"I'm okay, Rose - nothing a few of those lovely stickits can't fix!" he said, almost in pure glee.

"It's _stitches_, Grandpa. And that's not necessary. Let me see."

He held out his hand to me, and I muttered, pointing my wand at his deep cut and said,

"_Sanere ad normalis._"

Immediately, the cut mended itself.

He chuckled.

"Of course, thank-you Rose," he said.

I furrowed my brow. "What do you mean by 'of course'?"

"You're just always there with your handy spells. You spoil me, Rose."

I shook my head, sighing.

"Okay, Grandpa Weasley," I said. "But, I think you better come inside. It's almost dinner, and I know Mum is making your favorite sweet potatoes tonight."

His aged and wrinkled face lit up.

"Yum. Bless your mother!"

I helped him up and we headed into the house.

_Anything to get him away from that dismemberment waiting to happen._

* * *

…11:54pm

* * *

As I was falling asleep that night, I was hit with a thought.

My mind flicked back to the Werewolf question and its answer: _no cure…_ then to my practical potions exam. _Wolfsbane…_

Those words repeated over and over in my mind as I quickly fell asleep.

I wouldn't revisit this thought for a while.

* * *

August 12th, 2024 – 7:40am

* * *

…7:40am – Ancient Runes, Written

* * *

Question Twenty: _**Translate this sentence into English, and then into High Runic.**_

_ Ωµ¥±æƉƢ ŧƪƸȹȽɏ ɸɣɄɕ ʘʵƪƪæɕʵ ʳ̢ɣ̛̐ΨΠϠ̢Ƚɏ ɏ̐҉҂ӝʵ ᴞᶞ᷀ϠὫ῏҉ ̢₮₪Ωⱴ꜡__._

* * *

…9:06am – Arithmancy, Written

* * *

Question Forty: _**Complete this equation, solving for the high-value of Grenne, using the Frya Factor of xj17.**_

_**[A.N. = I HAD THIS REALLY COOL FORMULA AND EVERYTHING BUT FF DOESN'T WANT TO PUT IT IN]**_

_ (xj17 = 489mp GR)_

* * *

…12:59pm – Astronomy, Written

* * *

Question Thirty-Seven: _If Mars in accordance to the position of Titan on the date of 31.04.3044, is directly at coordinate…_

* * *

…2:11pm – Astronomy, Practical

* * *

Professor Dions stepped forward and said,

"Due to it being early afternoon, the stars cannot be visible. To fix this issue, the ceiling will be enchanted temporarily much like the Great Hall at Hogwarts. McGonagall wou-"

Without thinking, I raised my wand to the ceiling and said,

_"Illusio caelum trabea. Velit urna."_

The lighting in the room dimmed, and softly glowing shapes and myriad of sizes and shapes began to form around the room at varying heights and distances. Slowly, they gained color and features that were assigned to that body.

I had created an exact replica of the visible night sky within the room, able to be walked around in to observe the celestial bodies.

There was absolute silence, and I didn't notice it at first. I merely began walking around the room, examining the moons, planets and miscellaneous other celestial bodies, waiting for Professor Dions to give me my instructions. When none came, I looked around the room.

Everyone was looking at me with equal shock and wonder, and some… with fear.

"Professor?" I asked. "What is my first question?"

It took him a moment to respond. Blinking, he said,

"No questions, Miss Weasley," his voice shook. "You may go."

I was shocked.

"But I didn't do anything!" I protested.

He looked me square in the eye this time, his voice now steady.

"Yes, you did."

I opened my mouth to protest again, but Auror Groneman appeared next to me.

"It's time to go home, Miss Weasley. You will receive your grades tomorrow, the day after at the latest."

* * *

…6:10pm

* * *

I was just putting away the dishes and cleaning up from dinner – really, it was Hugo's job. Underage = no magic = _"character building!"_. I feel a bit bad now that I'm 17, so I help sometimes – when there was a tap on the glass of our back door.

I looked and saw an owl, so I hurriedly dried my hands and let him in.

He was a large, Great Horned Owl with dark plumage, with great yellow eyes. He was carrying a large package marked with the words: "HAZARDOUS – OPEN WITH CARE – DO NOT DROP – THIS END UP".

"Huh," I said, "I wonder who – "

"It's your first dose of the Wolfsbane Potion," Mum interrupted, coming into the kitchen.

I swallowed, my pulse spiking.

_It really was only a week away. A week until I turn into… into that MONSTER._

"You have to take it-" Mum started to say

"Of course I'm going to _bloody take it, Mum!_ Do I look like I want to turn into a _mindless beast?_ Just being _what I am_ is bad enough! Why would I want to be a _bloodthirsty animal as well?"_

With that, I ripped open the package, pulled out Healer Malfoy's note, read it, and then downed the potion like a shot of Firewhiskey.

I grimaced, gagging as soon as it went down.

"Rose," Mum said, all concerned, reaching out to touch my arm, but I threw it off.

"How could you?!" I cried, tears brimming over. "How _could you want this beast?_ I'm not Rose anymore! I'm just a _monster!_ You guys think you got your daughter back," I cried as Dad ran into the room, hearing all the yelling. "Well you're _wrong._ You got a wolf in sheep's clothing! Great deal huh?"

Sobbing now, I ran up the back staircase to my room, slamming it behind me and locking it.

I quickly muttered a spell to soundproof the room, before I curled up in the middle of my bed, wanting to die.

* * *

August 14th, 2024 – 6:21am

* * *

I barricaded myself in my room again. I had my own bath, and I just Summoned my food. There was no need to leave this room ever again.

The potion was still delivered, except it came to me at my bedroom window, which was good, because I couldn't face them.

I could never face them…

I was woken up by a cacophony of persistent rapping at my bedroom window.

Groaning unpleasantly, I sat up in my bed, rubbing my eyes blearily and muttering crossly.

"This better be –" I began to mutter, but then saw quite a strange sight: outside my bedroom window were a total of not one, not two, _not three – _but _seven_ owls! SEVEN.

I got up and moved towards the window, thought better of it, stepped back by my door and cast my unlocking spell on the window.

The owl's jockeyed for position to get in first – a flurry of feathers and indignant hooting – and Eri, my wonderful bird, pecked and flapped her wings in all the other bird's faces to get to me first. She flew once around my head before dropping her letter on my bed and perching on top of her cage before any of the other owl's tried to grab it. She hooted snootily at the other owls.

A large tawny owl dropped a thick envelope on my bed and few off, an eagle owl of dark plumage dropped a small package. A dark horned owl dropped a letter with familiar emerald green ink upon my bedspread. A small barn owl bore the Daily Prophet, perching on my bedside table. I quickly grabbed some coins to pay him, as two owl's I recognized – a pygmy owl named Squeak, which was Adela's, and a small snowy owl named Hoster, which was Lily's – dropped their letters and went and sat with Eri, who hooted hello.

There was one other bird left – a magnificent albino eagle owl – who held a small package. He sat on my windowsill, as if waiting for my attention. I went towards him, and he held out his leg for me to take the package.

"Who do you belong too…?" I mused, then froze.

This was Hercules, _Scorpius's owl._

I frowned, looking down at the package with distaste.

I looked back up at Hercules, who had his head cocked to the side, as if he was waiting for me to accept it or not.

I sighed.

"He told you to not leave unless I took it, huh?"

He hooted in response, almost guiltily.

"It is quite okay, Herc. I'll take it. Hold on though, okay?"

He hooted again in response.

I went to my desk and quickly scribbled a note:

_**I'll take it, but I can't guarantee I'll open it. That's more than you deserve.**_

_** -R**_

I quickly shoved it in an envelope, scrawled _**Malfoy **_on the front and gave it back to Hercules, who immediately flew off.

I looked at the mess of post on my bed and sighed.

I knew _exactly _which one wouldn't be opened, I set that on my desk, and gathered up the rest of the post to open downstairs during breakfast, _because I was now up at this ungodly hour._

Mornings need to _die._

I grabbed some owl treats and tossed one to each owl before dropping a handful into Eri's dish, before I left.

Surprisingly, Mum was already up.

Wednesday's were her day off. Usually she stayed in bed until at _least_ 10. Dad was gone by 5am and Hugo? Hah! You were lucky if you saw him before lunch!

Sitting at the table, looking over paper's for work, sipping her black coffee, as per usual. _Except for Wednesdays!_

She looked up as I descended the stairs.

"Rose," she said, a bit shocked to see me. Well, I couldn't really blame her. I had been holed up in my room for two days. I debated turning right back around, but then I saw the look on her face. She looked so… sad. Lonely.

"Please, Rose. Come sit with me? We don't have to talk. I just… I want to see you. You go off to Hogwarts in two weeks and it's your final year and then you'll be leaving me and I – "

Here she burst into full-blown tears.

Alarmed, I set down my mail beside her plate of crackers and marmalade and wrapped my arms around her.

"I'm sorry, Mum. I was being selfish, and narcissistic, and that wasn't fair to you and Dad." I pulled back and looked her in the eye. "Mum, I am not ready to talk about it. I don't know when I will, if ever. Please don't push it. Just… don't. Okay?"

She wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I'll talk to your father, and Hugo."

I nodded, sat down, and immediately stole one of the crackers.

"Hey!"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** the exam questions from this and last chapter (I can't remember if Chapter 10 had questions), almost all were taken from J.K. Rowling's W.O.M.B.A.T. Exams. I do not own any of these. They were used to help as a plot device. That is all.

Oh! Also, I shall be posting a complete list of all of Rose's spells as a link in my profile. If any of you are curious, check it out. It will be updated as more of her spells are introduced in later chapters.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Please review!


	14. 12: like silence but not empty

"_I like it when it rains hard. It sounds like white noise everywhere,_

_which is like silence, but not empty."_

_- Mark Haddon_

* * *

Chapter Twelve: _like silence, but not empty_

* * *

_(August 14th, 2024 - 9:36am) - _**ROSE**

* * *

I stayed and had a lovely breakfast with Mum, which seemed a bit strange to both of us. Ever since I came home, I had been sort of a recluse. I know that I knew how much my family wanted to see me, spend time with me – but I always pushed off that knowledge, choosing to drown in my own sea of misery.

I guess it was because I just _didn't understand it_. I wasn't Rose anymore. I really _was _a wolf in sheep's clothing. If I couldn't get past it, how were they able to?

As I was leaving to head back to my room to read my post when Mum spoke.

"Rose – I know you don't want to talk about it, nor any of us to mention it – but you should think about seeing Cousin Teddy. Maybe it'll help."

I suddenly felt like the _most moronic _witch in the whole world.

_Teddy Lupin._

He was like me.

A werewolf.

A Metamorphamagus, too.

He was different, too.

I nodded to Mum, "Maybe I will," and headed back upstairs.

On my way to my room, I heard noise behind Hugo's door. I paused, then making up my mind, I knocked.

"Hugo?"

The noise abruptly stopped. But a moment later, there were quick footsteps and the door opened.

"I'm sorry for exploding at you tha – " I began, but Hugo interrupted. _People seem to be doing that to me a lot lately, _I thought, a bit crossly.

"I know why you did it."

"You – you do?" I said, a bit thrown.

"Yeah. You don't believe you're the same person anymore, and I agree. No – let me finish. You went through something none of us could ever understand, even if you don't remember yet. It changed you, and not just becoming a werewolf. No one can go through that without having scars, and not just the physical ones. It'll take time, but you'll see."

Swallowing thickly, I choked out, "Thank you, Hugo."

He grinned. "Of course. You're my big sister. And, your apology is accepted, even if it wasn't necessary."

I nodded and impulsively enveloped him in a tight hug, which he accepted as well.

As I turned to head to my room, he said.

"Rose, I know Mum said to talk to Teddy – Extendable Ears – but you should think about talking to her too. She was tortured too, by Bellatrix Lestrange. I believe she _would _be able to understand that."

And again, I felt so stupid.

I didn't like it.

"You know, little brother, you're pretty smart. People don't give you enough credit," I smiled. "Sometimes I think your George's son."

He laughed. "I aspire to be like him."

"Good. You could aspire to be so much worse, like _James."_

We both laughed.

I turned around again and went to my room.

Closing my door behind me, I sank to the floor.

_How could I forget about Teddy? And Mum?_ But I knew how. _Wrapped up in myself, believing absolutely no one could ever understand. Yet two very important people in my life were right under my nose, who could. Mum and Hugo are right. I need to talk to them._

I wasn't sure I was ready just yet.

But, soon. Soon.

I picked myself up off the floor, and heard Eri's distinctive hoot. I looked over at her, and saw that Hoster and Squeak were gone. She looked a little disappointed.

"You can go visit, Eri. I don't think I'll be replying to my post today."

With a happy hoot, she few once around my head and shot out the window.

I gave a soft smile. _At least Eri hasn't changed towards me._ Which I then realized was a bit strange. Most animals don't act like themselves around werewolves or vampires.

Absently, I thought, _Animals are good judges of character. Maybe there's hope for me yet. _And on that note, I turned to my post.

I took out my wand and cast my nonverbal spell, which checked the validity of the items. I ran my wand over each of the letters, packages and Prophet in turn, checking for anything strange. Nothing.

I reached for the package first, seeing the familiar stamp of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, but with the sender's name as Charlie and Gordon McKinley.

I chuckled, though a little apprehensive about what it contained. They were a pair of honorary troublemaking Weasley's as I ever saw.

With a quick _aperi armarium_ I opened the package and pulled out a small note in Charlie's handwriting, which was good, because Gordon's was almost illegible.

* * *

**Rose,**

**We're both really angry at Scorpius, and if you haven't seen his face yet ****–**** which we kind of hope you haven't, that bastard ****–**** you have us and a few other of your friends to thank. Inside are a few of your favorite sweets, both to pick up your spirits, and as a congratulatory treat for passing your Exams. We just know you have. Maybe we all could meet up in Diagon Alley the week before we leave? Let us know.**

** Charlie and Gordon**

* * *

Looking inside the box, I almost began to drool. Inside were a dozen licorice wands and a pound of my favorite chocolate fudge. Greedily, I shoved a wand in my mouth, sighing in happiness.

I grabbed the rest of the post over to my desk, easier to write replies, and quickly wrote a reply.

* * *

_To Gordon and Charlie,_

_ Thank you very much for the note and sweets. As you probably guessed, I immediately began a greedy consumption of the wands._

_ I haven't opened my Hogwarts letter yet, so I don't know if I passed. I hope I did. Once I do, I'll send another letter to everyone._

_And if I have, meeting up sounds great. If you haven't asked the rest of the gang yet, I will let them know._

_ Rose_

* * *

I grabbed Lily's next.

* * *

**Hey Rose!**

** I wanted to express my anger over what happened at the Jorden's party.. I know you most likely don't want to be reminded about that arse, but I wanted to offer my services. Though the boys, Adela and I beat him up pretty good at the party, Mum says my Bat Bogey Hex is better than hers now, and I'm itching to use it on **_**HIM. **_**I don't think I did a good enough job the first time.**

** Let me know, cos! Oh, and let me know about your Exam's! I'm positive you passed, anyways, but I kind of want it in writing. For posterities sake.**

** Lily Potter**

* * *

_Lily,_

_ Your letter made me laugh. Though I'm sure it was meant to stir fire and desire for vengeance in my veins, I don't want to bother with him anymore. Go ahead if you really think it necessary, but I am not asking you to, nor do I really condone it. Yeah, I know. I'm no fun._

_ And yes, I'll let you know – in writing – about my exams. Haven't opened it yet._

_ Oh, and Gordon and Charlie want to meet up with all of us at Diagon Alley the week before we leave. I said I'd go – if I passed of course – and that I'd pass the message on, if they hadn't already._

_ Rose_

* * *

Next I grabbed the letter from Adela.

* * *

**Rose!**

** Hey sweetie! Haven't heard from you since the party. Was hoping you were okay, and if we needed to exact further damage upon his person. I totally will you know.**

** None of us are talking to him. Not even Al, his best friend! He really is scum.**

** Al has been over here a lot, which worries me a little. I think he was hurt pretty bad about Scor, too. Best friends and all. A betrayal to you, was a betrayal to him as well. Goodness! Everything is so messed up! Why can't we all just **_**get along?**_** Jeez! Merlin's pants!**

** I **_**did NOT**_** tell you this, but we're all planning a "surprise" party for you about your exams. Day after you let us know the verdict, I will "unceremoniously" arrive at your house with Lily to "kidnap you" to the Burrow for the party. REMEMBER: I DID NOT TELL YOU THIS.**

** Al would KILL ME.**

** Anyway, I hope you all the luck in the world ****–**** though we all know you would never need it.**

** Adela**

* * *

_Adela,_

_ Lily offered exactly the same thing, and I'll tell you what I told her: if you want to, who am I to stop you? But I don't condone it._

_ And why are all of you so sure about me passing me Exams? Do you have an inside source? Uncle Harry or my Dad, maybe?_

_ And, yes, I will not tell Al, or anyone else. You know I can keep a secret._

_ Oh, the McKinley brothers have invited us all to go to Diagon Alley together the week before Hogwarts. I say sounds fun! If I pass of course._

_ I'll let you all know – Lily is insisting she needs it in writing for "posterity's sake". Jeez, my family is bonkers._

_ Rose_

* * *

And lastly, I opened the letter Eri brought, which was from Al.

* * *

**Rose,**

** Lily is crazy, and so is Adela. You probably already know this, but I felt it still should be said.**

** THIS DID NOT COME FROM ME (because Adela would KILL ME) but once we all hear about your Exam's she and Lily will "surprise" you at your house and take you to the Burrow for a "surprise" celebratory party. I DID NOT SAY THIS. YOU KNOW NOTHING.**

** Anyway, not much more for me to say, because I don't really want to talk about "it" as I'm sure you don't either.**

** Albus Severus Potter**

* * *

_Al,_

_ Thanks for the head's up. Don't worry, she will never know you told. You know I can keep a secret. I'll be sure to act "surprised" anyway, so she doesn't get tipped off._

_ Yeah, I let you all know._

_ Thank you for not really mentioning "it". Really._

_ Charlie and Gordon invited us all to go Hogwarts shopping together at Diagon Alley the week before September First. Once I know if I passed or not, I'll give my response, but it sounds like fun. Tradition and whatnot._

_ Rose_

* * *

It was only after all the kind words from my friends and family, did I feel ready to open the emerald-green inked letter.

With shaking hands, I pulled out my results.

* * *

**Dear Miss Rose A. Weasley,**

** Below are your exam results.**

**Charms ****–**** O; 350/350**

**History of Magic ****–**** O; 175/175**

**Transfiguration ****–**** O; 500/500**

**Defense Against the Dark Arts ****–**** O; 600/600**

**Herbology ****–**** O; 500/500**

**Potions ****–**** O; 600/600**

**Arithmancy ****–**** O; 400/400**

**Ancient Runes ****–**** O; 400/400**

**Astronomy ****–**** O; 300/300**

** Please note, that all of these were perfect scores.**

** You are of course, permitted to attend your Seventh and Final Year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.**

** Enclosed are your list of required materials and a notice of changes to the curriculum.**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

* * *

**-Enclosed Material List-**

**The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Seven – Miranda Goshawk**

**The Grimiore of Classic Transfiguration ****–**** Marcus Poole**

**Integument of Ancient Transfiguration ****–**** Harriet Yu**

**Transfiguration for Everyday and Emergency Use ****–**** Scion DeWitt**

**The Philosophical Mind ****–**** Harrison Snake**

**An Encyclopedia of 14****th**** Century Runes - Mahmood Seviki**

**Newly Discovered Runes of South America ****–**** Felicity Mistwood**

**A Comparative Examination of Cardien and Woodlark ****–**** Guanna Lotlost**

**Major Breakthroughs of 12st Century Arithmancy ****–**** Sabia Vida**

**The Grimiore of Classic Potions - Marcus Poole**

**Advanced Potionmaking, Level Two ****–**** Libatius Borage**

**2,000 Magical Herbs and Fungi ****–**** Phyllida Spore**

**The Grimiore of Classic Defense - Marcus Poole**

**Magical Fauna of the World ****–**** Luna and Rolf Scamander**

**The Truths Concerning the Dark Arts ****–**** Absolon Cantery**

**The Falsehoods Concerning the Dark Arts ****–**** Absolon Cantery**

**The Grimiore of Classic Herbology - Marcus Poole**

**The Eternal Flora ****–**** Cardamom Winchly**

**Safety and Protection: In the Field ****–**** Luna and Rolf Scamander**

**The Updated Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, 21****st**** Century ****–**** Luna and Rolf Scamander**

**An Advanced Tutorial of Enchantment ****–**** Filius Flitwick**

**The Practice of Essential Magical Arts ****–**** Amartium Pantemon **

**Newly Approved Charm Magic ****–**** Augustus Crane**

**The Future of the Cosmos ****–**** Venus Monsoon**

* * *

**Potion Kit for the Advanced Potion-Maker**

**Iron Cauldron, Size 4**

**A set of 16 glass or crystal phials**

**Size 4 iron scales**

**Advanced Herbology Tools**

**3 sets of Dress Robes**

* * *

There was another two papers inside the envelope. The first said,

* * *

**NOTICE TO ALL STUDENTS:**

**Five new classes will be offered for the 2024/2025 Hogwarts Term and please note that many have prerequisites and minimum grade average.**

**Profession Immersion ****–**** 6****th**** and 7****th**** Years only; must be of a total mean score of at least E for all previous schooling for classes required in desired profession.**

**Spell Invention ****–**** 7****th**** years only; must have a mean O grade for all years of: Transfiguration, Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts**

**Training for the Muggle World ****–**** offered to 3****rd**** years and up; must have taken or are taking Muggle Studies, with a grade over A. for ****'****taking****'**** students, you will be dropped from the class after the first quarter if your grade is below an A.**

**Practical Skills ****–**** 3****rd**** years and up; at least an A in Charms, Transfiguration, Potions and Herbology**

**Nature Conservation ****–**** 1****st**** years and up; must have taken, or are taking Herbology; 3****rd**** years and up also require Care of Magical Creatures**

**Please reply to this letter if you would like to take any of the following classes. Please note that you many only choose up to two of these. Your required texts and materials for the classes will be ordered for you, and will be waiting at Hogwarts when you arrive. Amount of Payment will be sent to either parent or yourself. Please specify in your reply.**

* * *

Then, the second, was specific only for me.

* * *

**Miss Rose A. Weasley,**

** The information about your condition in my previous dictate remains the same. You will be accommodated to the absolute best of our abilities, and everything will be held to the utmost secrecy. The entire staff has been required to sign a legal document of the ramifications if they breach your privacy.**

** Looking forward to having you back,**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

**p.s. congratulations on your exam scores, we are all so proud of you.**

* * *

I sat there for what seemed like hours, completely in shock.

_I scored… perfectly?_ Every test and exam at Hogwarts had been Outstanding, but it was never specified the ratio of the score, specifically. I was almost unable to fathom this feat. No matter what anyone said about my magical spells and abilities, I knew it was just because I worked hard!

…wasn't it?


	15. 13: what you long for in your heart

"_Do not tell everyone your story. You will only end up feeling more rejected._

_People cannot give you what you long for in your heart."_

_- Henry Nouwen_

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: _what you long for in your heart_

* * *

_(August 16th, 2024 – 2:44pm) - _**ROSE**

* * *

True to Adela and Al's word, I was "unceremoniously" plucked out of my living room two days later, after I sent everyone a copy of my exam grades – only the grades.

Adela gave me a very pointed look right before she and Lily grabbed me and I understood: act really surprised.

I did my best, which wasn't at all.

I am _not _a good actress.

They got me to the Burrow via the Floo Network, because I wasn't supposed to know what was going on, and Lily wasn't of age, and Adela didn't think she could Side-Along two people… well. And Lily and I didn't feel like getting Splinched today. Or ever.

I was blindfolded and Adela cast a (quite good) Deaf Jinx on me, and we headed into the fire.

A short tumultuous ride later, I was led – still blind and deaf – outside to the garden. Only then were the handicaps on two of my senses removed.

I half wished they weren't a moment later.

The entire – and I do mean _the entire_ – Weasley, Potter and miscellaneous "bonus" members of the family were there, all – loudly – congratulating me on my exams, and my Head Girl status.

The party was also for Lily – who got Prefect – and Al, who got Quidditch Captain.

Grandmum and Grandpa Weasley, Uncle Harry, George, Percy, Bill, Charlie, Neville, and Rolf, Aunt Ginny, Angelina, Audrey, Fleur, Hannah and Luna, Cousin James, Al, Lily, Fred, Roxanne, Molly, Lucy, Victorie, Dominique, Louis, Lorcan, Lysander and Teddy. Mum, Dad, and Hugo.

Thirty-one of us, not including me.

They had never seemed so overwhelming until this moment – all their attentions on me.

_Merlin save me._

Then I saw all of my friends.

Amanda and Loraine, Gordon and Charlie, Adela of course, and –

"Nathan McKinnon!" I screeched, jumping on him.

"Agghh! Rose! Can't breathe!"

Everyone roared with laughter, and the tension dissipated, everyone doing their own thing now.

_Thank you Merlin. Help in the form of Nate McKinnon is always welcome._

I let him up.

Then hit him.

"What- "

"You haven't written me all summer you jerk! What, were you too busy on holiday with your aunt and uncle in America to put ink to parchment? You didn't even write your sister!" I said, motioning to Adela.

I hit him again.

"Ow! Quit it Rose!"

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Okay, yes, I missed you, too."

I pouted.

Oh, thank everything for Nate McKinnon. He never mentioned what happened to me. Not once. He knew I didn't want to talk about it. Not now.

"Congrats Rose!" said Loraine giving me a hug.

"Thank you Lori," I smiled.

"How much are you excited?" Amanda asked, eyes bright.

"It's Rose. 'Excited' doesn't even being to cover how she feels about learning."

Adela smacked her boyfriend before I could, which was probably a good thing.

_Nope. He's still smirking._

He laughed. "By the way, congrats on Head Girl. Let me know what Mum and Dad got you for me, huh?"

I snickered. "You as well, dork. Quidditch Captain! Nice. You better appreciate _my gift _that I _actually _picked out myself."

He grinned and swelled his chest, puffing up like a peacock.

Adela deflated him.

"Hey! And happiness for the new Seventh Year Prefect?"

Amanda, Lori and I squealed and grabbed her in a hug.

"Oh, that's so awesome, Adela!" gushed Amanda.

"And what about your favorite McKinley, Amanda? I don't get a hug for getting Prefect? I see how it is."

We all happily congratulated him – and he got that hug, sneaky bastard – and then I realized.

"Wait. So that means that the Head Boy is a Gryffindor," I said.

"Not me," said Gordon, laughing. "McGonagall would have to _dead_ to appoint me."

"And I'm just Quidditch Captain. There was no shiny badge for me in that letter."

_Oh, no…_

Everyone seemed to realize it at the same time I did.

"Please someone tell me Carter Jordan is Head Boy…" I whispered, pleadingly.

Charlie looked afraid to say it.

"No. He's not."

"That means…" started Lily.

"_Scorpius," _I said, teeth clenched.

Everyone groaned and muttered unhappily.

_Yeah, THANKS Merlin. THANKS A LOT._

"Sooo…" said Lily. "Let's not talk about this right now. Hey! Anybody know what's up with the dress robes and new classes?"

"Maybe we're having the Tri-Wizard Tournament again!" said Hugo, hearing what we were talking about on his way past us to the food table.

"No," Lily said. "They _really _banned it after Dad's fourth year. Like _never ever coming back _banned."

"Aww," Charlie, Gordon and Al groaned.

Everyone began chattering away about possible theories, when I noticed that Nate was being _very_ quiet. Not usually Nate McKinnon material.

I narrowed my eyes at him again.

"Oh no…" he groaned, as I grabbed his arm and forcibly dragged him over to the table laden with treats, where Hugo, Louis and the Scamander twins were inhaling what was left.

I grabbed a pumpkin pasty before they were gone, took a bite then poked him hard in the chest.

"Start talking," I said, swallowing. "You know something Nathan McKinnon. _Spill."_

"Don't you dare, Nate."

I spun around to face James.

"What?!" I looked back and forth at them both.

Nate looked relieved to be saved and James looked very adamant about Nate's silence.

"You two know something and I want to know what's going on!"

Mum appeared this time. _Jeez! It's like the entire lot of us have internal, invisible Extendable Ears! Merlin!_

"Is there no such thing as a private conversation – "

"Interrogation," James coughed, not very subtly. I glared.

"A private conversation in this family?!"

Mum chuckled and shook her head. "Not with ours, and especially as you're not trying much to be sneaky about it."

I saw Nate slink away out of the corner of my eye as I confronted her now. _Coward._

"Why can't I know what's going on at Hogwarts this year?" I demanded.

"Ever heard of a surprise, Rosie?" said Al, coming up with Adela.

_Arrghhh!_

"Yeah, I have," I said. "but obviously, you both don't."

They looked panicked, both trying to subtly shake their heads, telling me not to say it.

"Al, Adela told me about the party. Adela, Al _also _told me about the party."

They both looked at each other, incredulous.

"You-"

"You-!"

I turned away to look back at Mum.

"Sorry, Rose. No can do. You'll find out in a couple of weeks, just like everyone else."

_Ugh. Why did this feel so much like déjà vu?_

* * *

…9:11pm

* * *

Most everyone had gone home, except for Grandmum and Grandpa – they _lived _here – Mum, Dad and Hugo. Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry; Al, James and Lily.

We were helping clean up the mess – there was always a mess after a party at the Burrow – and as I was picking up some of the firework trash by the pond, I saw Teddy out of the corner of my eye, sitting on the stone bench.

Dropping what I was doing, I headed over.

_Here goes nothing, _I thought.

My hands shook as I approached.

"Can I sit?" I asked.

"Oh, Rose. Yeah, of course. What's up?" he said, his hair changing from its usual electric blue to a darker shade of red. It made it look like his head _really was _on fire.

I fiddled with my hands, looking down at my feet.

"I don't know how to start," I said.

"Okay. Take your time."

We lapsed back into silence, watching the last of the sunlight fade and the fireflies come out in full force. I saw a flash of a pink fairy by the garden before I was able to speak.

"I've been a bit of an idiot. I've been so wrapped up in myself since… well…" I sighed. "I thought that no one could ever understand what I was going through. Mum reminded me that I'm not… alone in being… well, like you now."

Teddy was silent.

"I understand, Rose. It takes time. Especially because you weren't born a werewolf, like me." I flinched at the word, 'werewolf'. He noticed.

"First piece of advice? Say it out loud. Say what you are."

I gulped.

"I – I can't," I whispered.

"Because that makes it real, right?"

I nodded.

"It's not going to go away, Rose. I'm sorry if I'm being really harsh and blunt about it, but it's the truth. There is no cure for lycanthropy. Maybe one day…" he trailed off, a little sadly. Then he looked back at me, and put his hand on my knee.

"You need to say it, Rose."

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for this momentous task he was asking me.

"I'm – I'm a… a _werewolf."_

I felt him smile.

"You'll get there, Rose. It gets better," Teddy said.

"But what if it doesn't?" I cried, suddenly animated. Unable to hide my fears anymore. Not from someone who may just understand. "I don't remember how I got this way! What if I never do? What if I never know who made me a _monster_?"

Teddy shot to his feet.

"_Rose!"_ he cried, aghast.

"It's true!" I cried. "You may not be, but I'm a _monster._"

He knelt in front of me now.

"_That is not true."_

His voice was like steel. Uncompromising. Unaccepting of my verdict.

I began to cry.

"Rose. Healer Malfoy came to me, the night you turned at St. Mungo's," he said.

"Wha – what?" I stuttered.

"Yeah. He reached out to me, knowing you would need support of someone like you. He feared that this is exactly what you thought of yourself once you knew. But he _saw you. I _saw you, Rose."

"Saw me?"

"When you turned. I was on my way to my own room for my own transformation. I had been at St. Mungo's for a cursed burn treatment, and I wasn't discharged in time for the full moon. I saw you. You were calmly letting them lead you into a containment room. You didn't attack anyone. You didn't even _growl_. Rose…" he paused. "It was like you were still you, just in a wolf skin. Not even like you would be like on the Wolf's Bane potion, which I knew you weren't."

"What do you mean?" I asked, curious and confused.

"I mean, you were _better_ than anyone_ ever is_ when they're on the potion. You were… it was like you were wholly human. And, like I said, you weren't on the potion at all. And it was only your _second full moon._ No one is like that. _No one._"

"I don't understand," I said, something I don't say very often.

"Neither do any of us. But you're _not a _monster, Rose. You're _not."_

And with those words, I started to finally believe it.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE: credits for the Teddy idea - I truly didn't even think about it! - to "JustMeMarissa". thank you so much! what a loyal reader! (and, as you'll see next, definitely not a "Loyal")**


	16. 14: a crossroads

"_More than any time in history mankind faces a crossroads._

_One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness,_

_the other to total extinction. Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly."_

_- Woody Allen_

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: _a crossroads_

* * *

_(August 18th, 2024 – 7:02pm)_ - **ROSE**

* * *

I had insisted on going by myself.

Mum and Dad almost wouldn't hear of it at first, insisting they accompany me to St. Mungo's for my first transformation under the influence of Wolf's Bane. But I put my foot down.

"None of you can do this with me. This is something I'm going to have to deal with for the rest of my life, and I have to start now. You're not going to be with me at Hogwarts or onwards. I have to do this alone. I'm sorry."

Teddy wanted to help, too. He asked Healer Malfoy if he could Transform with me.

He said that it wasn't allowed during the Wolf's Bane test, but later on, if I wanted to, he could. He said that he thought it would help me. I wasn't sure about it, but told Teddy I'd think about it.

A letter attached to my second-to-last potion delivery the night before from Healer Malfoy had told me to arrive at St. Mungo's four hours before moonrise for preliminary tests, and so here I was.

They set up a special receiving room for me so no one but Healer Malfoy and the attending Healers would know I was there. My visit didn't need to be put into next morning's _Daily Prophet._

He was waiting for me.

"Hello, Miss Weasley."

"Hello," I replied, nodding my head.

"Hello again, Miss Weasley," said one of the three other Healers that had attended me while I was here the first time, Healer Adornetto, Healer Dolmen and Healer Coltern were here too.

"Hi," I replied, a little taken aback.

"They all saw you Transform, and they are part of the group of Healers assigned to your case that are sworn to secrecy about your lycanthropy," explained Healer Malfoy.

I gave a little smile of relief. I knew these Healers – I spent almost a month with them after all – and was glad they would be here with me.

"So, what do we do now?" I asked. "How does this work?"

"We're going to take some vitals and then you will take your final dose. We will take you to the room you were in the last time for the Transformation, and you will change. We will be observing you the whole time from a separate room, via a Two-Way Mirror," explained Healer Malfoy.

I nodded. "Okay."

Then the uncomfortable feeling throughout my body ever since noon grew, and I knew it was my body preparing for the change.

I let them know.

"We'll get this done quickly, then."

The vital tests were like the one's Muggle doctors did for their patients, but through the use of magic. They were done with their examination within a few minutes, and after I was handed the glass filled with the disgusting potion.

I took it like the first time, like a shot of Firewhiskey – my body shivered afterwards.

The feeling was much intensified by this time.

"Let's get you to the room."

I nodded, ready to get this over with.

I started shaking in earnest as we made our way, making me even more anxious of the inevitable Change that loomed before me, like an inky black mass of darkness and pain.

"Good luck," Healer Dolmen said, and everyone else assented.

I nodded, unable to stop the shaking now.

As they moved to lock the door, I handed over my wand, and as an afterthought, I said,

"You should lock to door using the spell _irrefragabiles crinem. _It's my own invention and has only one counterspell, which is _aegre reserare. _Use _roboro _ to reinforce the door, too."

Wordlessly, Healer Malfoy nodded, the other Healers looked at me with wide eyes.

And then I was left alone.

* * *

…7:41pm

* * *

I didn't have to wait very long before it happened.

It was the same as before: the white-hot pain, shooting like lightning throughout my body, the convulsions; the movements of my body that shouldn't be possible without killing me. The hair, the ears, the teeth and snout… the tail.

When it was over, I lay crouched on the floor, panting heavily.

Then, something happened, and it was like I was looking through a damaged, scratched red-tinted lens. My thoughts were jumble; I was no longer able to clearly discern my voice from the wolf's. And she wasn't the same.

It was like she went crazy, like the stories everyone hears as a child about a Transformed werewolf _not_ on the Wolf's Bane potion: vicious, crazed, filled with nothing but bloodlust and the urge to rip and shred and bite any flesh I came across.

The last coherent thought I remember before the wolf completely took over was this:

_But I'm on the potion._

* * *

…7:47pm - **DRACO**

* * *

It was unlike anything I had ever seen.

"It shouldn't be happening this way," I said, shocked. It seemed that Rose Weasley had a talent for shocking people. "She's on the potion, she's taken it for the full seven days. We checked her blood."

"It seems Rose is more unique than we thought," came the voice of McGonagall from behind me.

"How can this be happening?" whispered Clyde, who stood on my right.

Edgecombe answered this time.

"It's having the opposite effect."

"Well, obviously Ms. Edgecombe," huffed McGonagall. "You're the expert on Rose's mental state, pray, tell us if you have any theories." She turned her intense gaze on the Ministry wizard who was taking evaluating notes on the whole thing. "And you! You're the expert on werewolves. How could this be occurring?"

As one was wont to do when faced with McGonagall, he shriveled before her gaze and demanding tone.

A raged filled howl filled the room, as were-Rose rose to all fours and viciously attacked the eastern wall, gouging deep rivulets with her claws. They all cringed.

"Maybe it is in her genes. She's an unheard of powerful witch; it could be that she has evolved to natural control. She was nothing like this when she changed last month. The potion is the only factor that has changed," he said timidly, his voice gaining confidence as he continued.

"Not the only change, Monroe," said Marietta raising her voice over were-Rose's continuing howls and growls as she made her way along all four walls, attacking every surface in her crazed state. "She has her memory of who she is back, but that is most likely not the cause. I agree with your theory that she naturally has the ability to control her wolf."

"This is completely unheard of. Completely unprecedented," I said.

"Is she safe to attend Hogwarts, Mr. Monroe?" asked McGonagall.

"For now," he said. "But, she will return here the next full moon for another observation, not on the potion. If her behavior is like the first time we saw her Transform, she will be cleared to attend."

"And if she does, how do we record this without seeming insane? This has never happened," I asked.

McGonagall gave the solution.

"Simple. We _lie._ We say she is stable _on_ the potion. DeVane will have to make the potion, nevertheless. I believe Rose will have a spell to defer suspicion that she isn't taking it."

We all agreed, a little uneasily, but we knew this deception was necessary.

"Looks like we have a long three nights ahead of us."

* * *

_(August 21st, 2024 – 6:39am)_ - **ROSE**

* * *

As I was transforming back to my human self – as the wolf faded from the forefront of my mind – it happened again.

_A memory._

* * *

"_Get up pups! Crucio!"_

_ This was my alarm clock now._

_ You would think that after almost a month of this, it would lose its barb._

_ But no one gets used to torture._

_ If you were lucky – very, very lucky – if Maither's didn't torture you twice; blessed, if somehow he overlooked you._

_ I wasn't lucky, and never blessed._

_ I was always the last one to crawl out of the tent, three to four helpings of the Cruciatus Curse later. My tardiness to the camp "assembly" always got me yet another Unforgivable, but this one… it was worse than all of Maither's combined._

_ Fenrir Greyback wanted to cause me pain most of all._

_ And everyone could tell he looked forward to the morning "example" he made of me, more than anything in the world._

_ We didn't get much to eat – just enough to survive – and we were all separated after Greyback's morning tirade and pompous speech. It didn't vary much: "werewolves have too long been 'second class citizens' – they 'treat us worse than animals' – 'let's show them how 'animalistic' we can be' – blah blah blah."_

_ Those of us who were still human were used as slave labor in the camp; those recently turned were taken away by Fenrir himself with a handful of his lieutenants to be "trained": brainwashed and tortured some more until they were of the same mind as him: hateful, rabid, mindless killers. We didn't see them again until they were "loyal"._

_ But, this morning was different; we humans could feel it – the atmosphere was different, charged._

_ Watson, the woman I met that first night in the tent, knew why. She had been here a full two weeks before me, and has saw it happen, but was not chosen yet._

_ "We're going to be turned today," she whispered in barely contained horror._

* * *

_(August 24th, 2024 – 10:34am) -_ **ROSE**

All of the family was shocked by this news – the ones who knew – and we just didn't understand. They were of course told about the "plan" and they agreed to it as well.

The only bit of distraction from this revelation was the other one: the newest memory.

"We thought Greyback was dead," said Uncle Harry.

"Obviously not," I said derisively.

"It make's sense though," said Healer Malfoy. "I spent a bit of time around him when the Death Eaters all took up a mostly permanent residence at Malfoy Manor. This was the thing that Voldemort promised him, the dominance of werewolves in a large portion of the wizarding community."

"And he's deranged enough to believe it's possible for _him_ to orchestrate," said Dad.

"What are we going to do now?" asked Aunt Ginny.

Dad opened his mouth to answer but I beat him to it.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?!" Mum asked incredulously.

"Yeah, nothing," I repeated. "Nothing _public._ I remember enough about him from when he… well, he truly believes it. And that's one of the main reason he calls those who are turned under his direction "Loyals". He is so paranoid and suspicious, that any sort of public manhunt will throw him into full hiding. Then we'll just be he paranoid ones, spreading our numbers thin in our search to find him. We'll be leaving ourselves more vulnerable. He could even decide to hold off on his plan for years more, since I believe this has been in the works not long after the death of Voldemort and the defeat at Hogwarts. No. There can be no official knowledge of what we now know. Not yet." I paused. "And I think there is more to the story. We need more information before any concrete decisions are made."

And that, was that.

For the time being; which would be an uncomfortably long time.


	17. 15: into their misfortune

"Every decision is liberating, even if it leads to disaster.

Otherwise, why do so many people walk upright

and with open eyes into their misfortune?"

- Elias Canetti

-/-/-

Chapter Fifteen: Into Their Misfortune

(August 28th, 2024 – 10:41am) – **ROSE**

"Rose! Hey, over here!"

I searched the mass of people bustling along the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley, looking for the person who had called my name. Finally my eye caught a fast movement over the heads of the crowd, darting into view as the large, fashionable hats of the older witches moved out of the way.

I motioned to my youngest cousins, Lucy and Molly, to follow me through the crowd. They were in my charge for the first part of the day, as their parents – Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey – had a last minute emergency… _something…_ to finish at the Ministry.

"Stay close," I said.

We wove our way through the people – which was annoyingly difficult, especially with all Lucy and Molly's Hogwarts things – but finally emerged on the other side to meet Adela, Al… and Scorpius.

It took me aback. I hadn't seen or talked to him since he showed up at my house, trying (and failing) to apologize for what he had said.

I needn't have worried about any drama since he was heading off.

"See you on the First, Al," he said, completely ignoring me, which I appreciated. I wasn't ready to deal with him. I don't know if I ever would be.

Albus nodded and he was gone, swallowed up by the crowd.

Albus turned and saw me walk up and his face paled a bit.

I waved my hand dismissively. "I'm not putting a family embargo on him, Al," was all I said. He visibly swallowed and relaxed.

Just as I opened my mouth, Lucy and Molly's parents rushed up from the crowd. It was all "hello" 's and "how were they" 's and "did we give you enough Galleons for everything…" Before I even knew what was happening, parcels were handed off and the whirlwind of Percy and his family spun away, back into the masses. And we were left to our own devices.

All Al and Adela had to do is exchange looks between us, and we burst out in loud guffaws.

Threading her free arm through mine, with Al on her other side, Adela spun us away to do our own shopping for the term.

"So, we heading to Gringott's first?" Al asked as we walked down the uneven cobblestones.

"Yeah," I replied, pulling out a bunch of official-looking papers from my pocket, "I have to open my own vault since I'm 17 now."

He gave an appreciative whistle. "Wow, Rosie's really all grown up now, huh?"

I shot him a look. He was lucky that Adela was between us.

_When will they all stop with the Rosie crap, I swear on Merlin's soggy left –_

My internal grumbling's were interrupted as we arrived at the towering, lopsided marble building. We clamored up the steps and into the bank's large atrium.

"So how does it work, setting up your own vault?" Adela asked.

Sometime I really did forget she was Muggleborn.

"Well, since I kept my own money with the families, Mum has been keeping track of what was mine – as well as Hugo's – and had the papers drawn up at the Ministry for the split of accounts." I unfolded the papers to show her. "It gives the goblins the amount to pull out of their vault to put into mine."

It took a few minutes for a goblin to free up to help us.

"Hi, I am Rose Weasley and I'm here to set up my own vault with severance papers from my family's vault," I said. Wordlessly, the goblin reached out his long fingers for the papers. He took a moment to look them over before asking, "Do you have the key to the family vault?" in his squeaky voice.

_Crap,_ I silently cursed. _I forgot to ask Mum for it._

"Yes," I told the goblin, "Just give me a moment to find it. You can help my friends in the meantime."

He gave me a look, but didn't protest.

Once he was busy with Al and Adela's vault requests, I pulled out my wand.

"_Appar accio __domum priori,_" I said, and the key appeared in my hand.

Unfortunately, a goblin had been walking by behind me as I said the incantation.

There was an instant uproar and I was swarmed by security goblins. Angry yelling in Gobbledegook swelled to uncomfortable volumes and without knowing what the heck was going on, my wand was thrown into an iron box held by one of the goblins, as well as Al's and Adela's.

"Hey! What's going on?" I yelled at them and was thus ignored. We were unceremoniously herded away from the counter and into a room behind it, where we were thrust inside and the door locked behind us.

We stood there in shock.

"What they heck was all that about?" Al asked with incredulity.

I was flummoxed, and started to say, "I don't know," when it hit me.

"Uh, I may have defied the spells put on vault keys to keep them from being summoned, and summoned my families key to myself…" I said sheepishly.

"Wha – how – Rose, I – what – how - ?" Al spluttered, completely at a loss for how to respond.

Luckily for him, Adela kept her head.

"What did you say?"

"What – "

"What was the incantation, Rose?"

Before I got a chance to respond, the door slammed open and what looked like the goblin in charge appeared.

"I don't know how you did it Miss Weasley, but you essentially just spat on our most powerful goblin magic by summoning your family key," he said bluntly. "And that is dangerous."

I opened my mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the arrival of a harried looking wizard.

His green wizard hat was lopsided and his face was flushed. Clutching a briefcase and some parchment to his chest, he stumbled into the room.

"Goblin Tracklock," he wheezed, "I got here as fast as I – "

The goblin – Tracklock, it seemed – sneered. "Yes, yes. So you have." He turned back to me. "What do you have to say for yourself, Miss Weasley?"

The wizard spoke instead, "Tracklock, if I may –" but was interrupted by a very angry sound by the goblin he was addressing.

"The Goblin Liason Office can't help here, Nevins! She just broke – she just broke _everything_! -" The rest of his words were unintelligible as he switched into Gobbledegook.

Now that the wizard, Nevin's, had caught his breath, he started spewing off sounds like Tracklock's.

They went like this for the next few minutes, arguing in Gobbledegook before I had had enough.

"Enough!" I yelled. "Can _someone speak sense for a gosh-darn second_!"

They both fell silent, looking incredulous.

"Look, I know you're pissed that I conjured my family's vault key, but I don't see how that – "

"You did _what?!"_ exclaimed the Ministry Wizard.

"Miss Weasley, we have a huge problem here," said Tracklock. "You just created a spell that essentially renders all of our protective enchantments here at Gringott's moot."

"I didn't mean to!" I cried, "I just forgot the key at home and – "

"It doesn't matter _why_ you did it, you just _did._ And now Gringott's is finished!" screeched the goblin. "If anyone finds out about the spell – " He turned his angry beady eyes on Al and Adela behind me.

"Hey! We didn't – "

"They didn't hear me," I said.

"We cannot prove that –" shot the goblin right back.

"Everyone _stop!" _I screamed. "Look," I said, turning to Tracklock. "I understand what's at stake now. And I have a solution."

"What could you possibly –"

"I am prepared to make an Unbreakable Vow that I will never again use or tell anyone about the spell."

"Miss Weasley, I would advise against – " started the Ministry Wizard, but I ignored him.

"This way the damage is –"

"Miss Weasley, really, I wouldn't – " he started but I interrupted him,

"I am of age Mr. Nevin's and I can do as I want," I shot back. "Now, are we in agreement that this sufficiently nullifies the problem?"

They were all silent. Then, they nodded.

"Mr. Nevin's, I trust you can preside?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

He hastily set down his papers and drew his wand.

* * *

(August 28th, 2024 – 4:10pm)

Hours later, Al, Adela and I sat surrounded by our many parcel's in front of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, eating our favorite flavors.

We were in stitches over the strangeness of the day, but somehow, it was like everything was back to normal in my life.

_Finally._

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know. It's been over a year since I posted. I AM SO SORRY. My life... kind of went to crap. That's all I'm comfortable saying. HOPEFULLY, the next chapter, which will be September First, their return to Hogwarts! - will not take a year to post. I hope to have it within two weeks.**

**Again, thank's to ALL the people who have read this story and have been there since the beginning. YOU ARE ALL AWESOME! And so are all the new readers! HAI THERE!**

**Liv**


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